Forbidden Love
by X Prodigy
Summary: Takato loves Rika, but she and Ryo are a couple, what's worse is that an evil deep within him has risen, Takato feels it's his responsibilty to stop it, donning a mask he tries to save the city, but Rika takes an interest in Takato's new identity
1. Torture

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Torture 

It was a normal day, the first of April, a day of no cares, just a day that could be enjoyed, a day that could enjoy a fruitful weekend, but for one, a day of torture.

Takato stood on the curb near his house, he didn't bother to go in he had no means to. The day was slow and painful; every second was like a thorn inserting themselves into his pale skin. His eyes were usually full of pride and energy with a cheerful smile now……..just eyes full of torment and his smile turned to a small frown. His goggles were hung around his neck, slanting to the side.

He waited here everyday ether after school or the weekend evenings. Takato glanced at his watch, 6:00 they would arrive soon.

A sound of footsteps reached his ear; he spun his head around to see a pair of teens walking together, their arms linked and their bodies leaning on each other.

One was a girl with crimson hair tied up in a knot; she wore a white shirt with a blue heart on it she had a warm smile on her face as her head rested on the other's shoulder.

The other person was a guy with spiky brown hair; he had had a red top with a pair of blue jeans.

Their names were Rika and Ryo, they were friends of Takato only he didn't want them to be his friends, Rika and Ryo were a couple and had been for 2 months. They were a popular pair that fitted each other perfectly, that's what made Takato want to throw up every time he saw them together.

You see, Takato had fallen in love with Rika for the past year, only he had not talked to her about it because he was a bit scared to admit it and it had been just recently after they saved Jerry from the Chaos threat and Takato didn't want to rustle up the fact to quickly.

On the day he had gathered enough courage to ask her out, Ryo walked past him a presented a beautiful brocade of roses to her and they had started dating soon after, Takato was crushed and couldn't face her since.

Rika stopped walking and gripped her arms around Ryo. She placed a hand over his cheek and slowly moved his face towards hers; Ryo moved his hands around her waist and slightly pulled her up. Takato watched in agonising horror as their faces met and their lips touched.

Takato wanted to scream, he wanted to run, he wanted to die but he could only watch with his jaw dropped down as the pair engaged a passionate kiss. He had seen them kiss before but every time it was like the first; it made his heart sink and made his eyes water.

Takato noticed their smiles and their eyes telling them to have more of the pleasure that was each other. Takato did this to himself everyday, he tortured himself everyday hoping that there was a slight chance that Rika would be alone on that pavement, begging for someone to love her then he would approach her and share his feelings and she would share hers and they would share their first kiss, full of love and deepness of each others soul, but no he was in second place. Ryo had her and he was never going to let her go.

Takato stood up and walked up the path to his house, leaving the love struck pair to whatever else that would only make his life more miserable.

He began to run up the path and allowed his tears fall down and splash on the concrete, he didn't deserve this! He had more than Ryo ever could have but he had to steal Rika away from him.

The door slammed behind him, he raced to his room fell on his bed and let his sorrow die down. After many tears Takato looked in the mirror and reflected on the thin, broken hearted boy that stood in front of him. Suddenly something in Takato snapped.

"She's mine! She is my pride! She is my joy! She brings me close to death! She makes my life a living hell! She can make my world and break it 100 times over! She can make my heart either wear out or beat faster than light! Her smile is what keeps me living and she goes and wastes it on him! She can burn my life to a crisp just by kissing him! I love this girl and I despise her! I want her warm body close to mine! I want to taste her blood red lips! I want to feel her dark hair on my face! I want see her white skin in the mornings lying next to me! I want her god damn it!"exploded Takato.

He smashed the mirror with a single punch, he was obsessed, he was twisted, and he was ruled by this life of torture because of one girl.

Takato picked up a sharp piece of glass and prepared run it through his wrist.

"I won't live a life where she is not mine!" he shrieked.

"Takato…" a voice whispered in his ear. Takato looked around his room, nothing.

"Takato it's not your time" said the voice again.

"Who's there?" he whispered. Takato looked at the piece of glass in his hand; there was a knight with a red cape, a lance and shield with eyes that made Takato shiver.

"Gallantmon……" stuttered Takato. The image faded and so did the glass, all the glass vanished and reappeared on the mirror.

"Wwwas that a sign?" Takato said in a slight bit of terror. Takato shook his head and looked and the restored bits of glass.

"I nearly…..I have to get off this Rika idea pretty soon I'll do something so stupid I'll probably…" Takato went white in the face that he had nearly committed suicide…..over Rika and had been ranting on about claiming her.

Takato inched his way into bed and went into a sleep out of sheer exhaustion of the day. It had been to quick of an action and the Gallantmon sign, did it mean he wasn't meant to die, yet. Takato hoped an early sleep would do him good, the day had taken its toll on him, and it was a day of absolute torture…………..


	2. Misery

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Misery 

Takato lay in a dark slumber, how he ever managed to go to sleep after a near but failed suicide attempt was beyond him.

He had stopped having dreams recently and was left with good old fashioned nightmares. He had seen them all, death, fear, agony, but this time he was stuck with a new element; Misery, where sadness and emotional pain crept into every part of his being.

TAKATO'S NIGHTMARE 

The whole city was drenched in rain, Takato was running aimlessly through soaked streets and the saturated roads. He was dressed in his only his boxers and skin, which felt like were under a waterfall.

"I've got to…….find……her…..before he…….takes her" Takato breathed heavily. He continued on his journey through the city. The alley ways were covered in rain and shadow, for an unknown reason the darkness looked warm and comforting, like it was calling him, sweat, tender darkness….Takato shook his head he needed Rika not some stupid impulse for the shadowy streets.

Takato ran again, the sound of raindrops beating at his ears. He came around a corner and reached his destination, Rika's house. Takato took a moment to get the air back into his system and knocked on the door, nothing. He banged it again only this time harder, still know answer.

"Come on open!" Takato shouted as he slammed a fist at it, it broke like a twig. Takato ran through the garden and rapidly slammed on the door to her home. This time he heard footsteps coming forward, coming closer and closer.

The doors swung open, only with no-one standing there, Takato ran into the dim lit house, he searched all floors and all rooms, no-one, not one sign of Rika or Ryo.

Takato then heard noises, they were faint but he did hear noises, sounds of movement and heavy breathing, the were spawning from a room Takato didn't notice before, he moved closer to it, seeing small lights flashing in the room.

Takato opened the door… to find only the thing he was trying to prevent.

Rika was smiling happily, she wore black bikini, the faint light shining off her tender skin, Ryo was smiling with her, he was shitless and had his arms clasped around Rika's waist. They were each lying on a bed, side by side; they caressed each other and gave each other loving gazes.

Takato felt that similar urge of wanting death creep into his mind but shook it off and walked into the room. Ryo immediately averted his gaze and sat up, he stared at Takato hatefully.

"Back off Takato! She's mine!" He yelled. Rika got up and gazed at Takato with black, hate filled eyes.

"I'll never love you Takato! Go away and try living your sorry life, considering that you can't live without me, man… who knew filth like you still existed in the world!" Rika shouted sharply.

Takato was breathless, he dropped to his knees and cried, felling is world shatter, like the glass he punched before.

"No…Rika…please I love you!" Takato yelled but the room had vanished into dust, he was back in the alley way.

He looked at the street and saw that darkness, the darkness that called out for him. Takato cried but reached for it, the blackness seemed to smile and come closer to his reach. Takato's fingertips were almost in contact with it.

The sharp light pierced the darkness. Takato shielded his eyes, a knight dressed in red and white appeared, Gallantmon stepped forward, and Takato stood up and walked forward.

"Don't give in Takato!" The knight spoke.

"Gallantmon? Why are you here, what's going on?" Takato said in confusion.

"There is not much I can say now but I am here to warn you" Gallantmon said.

"Warn me? Of what?" Takato asked.

"This dream we are in, this life you live. The darkness is rising." Gallantmon spoke.

"Huh? What darkness?" Takato asked.

"You are being called Takato, the darkness has invaded your dreams, and if you had touched the darkness you would have been consumed by him" Gallantmon answered.

"What? Who will I be consumed by?" Takato asked.

"Your evil side…" Gallantmon spoke silently. There was a brief tense pause until Takato spoke up again.

"My…evil side?" Takato asked in confusion.

"When you nearly killed yourself the other day the darkness had you, if I had not stopped brought you to your senses you would have truly been lost to it" Gallantmon explained.

"Wouldn't I have just died?" Takato asked. He hated talking about his suicide attempt, though very recently it was a scar that he would regrettably always remember.

"No, you are important to the evil, cutting your wrists would have only given up your just side. " He said.

Before Takato could ask another question Gallantmon spoke up again.

"Listen, I have not much time, I must give you the leads that you must follow, I can see the future from now as clear as day, an ultimate battle is arising. The digimon including myself will not be able to help you, if you resist the darkness then you will be forced to fight another who has given themselves to it" Gallantmon stated.

Takato tried to keep up and listened to he next bit.

"Through this ordeal you will face three tasks, you must: face yourself, face your love and face your enemy. These will become clear in time, the darkness is growing with every bad experience you go through, yesterday you experienced torture and now you have faced misery" Gallantmon continued.

Takato nodded, seeing Rika and Ryo together like that made his heart eat itself up.

"When you face these challenges you shall hide behind a mask, this is the only clue I can give you." Gallantmon through something towards Takato, it was a single red rose.

"What does this do?" Takato asked. Gallantmon turned and began to head towards the light.

"Like I said Takato it is only a lead but will be a crucial part of this whole war we are facing with this evil. The real question you should be asking is what can _you _do" Gallantmon said as he disappeared in the light.

"Wait! Gallantmon, please I don't understand!" Takato yelled but it was too late.

Takato woke up with a startle, he was in his room, he sighed thinking it was all a nightmare but he looked down and nearly jumped out of his skin. He held a single red rose in his hand.

"What's happening…why is this happening, what does this have to do...with me" Takato said in a whisper before his eyes unleashed rivers of tears.

The early morning was now surrounded in misery.


	3. Hatred

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Hatred

Takato was walking along the empty streets, in his hand was the single rose that Gallantmon had gave him, it was a Sunday and Takato's parents were still on vacation which left the house to himself, which was easier to get out of the house early or late with no one to stop you.

Takato walked aimlessly on the same street for what seemed liked eternity, his mind fixed on what Gallantmon had told him though it still made no sense whatsoever.

_The darkness is rising _

_Death meant being lost to your dark side _

_Three tasks; Face yourself, face your love and face you enemy _

_Hide behind a mask _

_You must resist, though the darkness will then take another willing host _

_The question is what can you do Takato _

_The single red rose _

Takato looked down at the rose, how was this a clue, what did a pathetic rose have to do will this great evil? Takato snarled and walked on, he felt like his heart had died and his body was like a puppet, fate had control of him now.

He sat on a bench near the park and starred at the foggy sky, it was really early and Takato was the only one awake in the entire city. He walked on and traversed through the park.

He came to a pond that had been frozen by the cold morning, he smashed the ice with a single swipe of his fist and picked up a shard, it showed a clear reflection of him, he looked like someone who had been broken in two, at least that was his heart talking, the rest of him was just an empty shell.

Takato blinked and starred at the shard closely, he swore he just seen something else in the shard. He looked again, the ice revealed him, then it began to darken, the ice itself became black.

"What the…" Takato looked again, the black ice cleared to blue, his reflection was clear again only…

"DIE!" a voice yelled.

"Aghhhhhh!" Takato screamed in shock and fear while dropping the ice, it broke into fragments, Takato's heart raced as he looked at his reflection. His skin was black, jet black with scales all over, demented eyes with rays of red and yellow and white, his hair gone blood shot red.

"Hahahahahaha, the look on your face is priceless" the reflection spoke. Takato couldn't move in his fear, his reflection spoke wickedly, his voice seemed like it had been smashed and only vibrating sounds of what was his voice came through the darkened version of himself.

"Who the hell are you?" Takato got up and looked at the abomination.

"Jeez Takato! For a boy in love, and in despair you really aren't that smart" it spoke. Takato felled a surge of anger run through him, which gave him a slight bit of confidence.

"How can you…are you…" Takato stuttered.

"Yep. I am you. In the flesh or in the ice as it were, anyway Takato, your probably wondering why I'm here" It spoke.

"The thought may have crossed my mind" Takato said.

"Joke all you want, I am your future, your dark side…" It said as it showed a set of snake like teeth.

"You're my dark side! What the hell do you want from me?" Takato asked as he starred at the portrait of himself, only more evil looking.

"I've come for you, our souls will be entwined and our power can be awaked" it said as it flung its arms out.

"Not in this lifetime! Gallantmon warned me about you, he told me everything." Takato spat at it.

"That's a lie and you know it, you have no clue what is going on, Gallantmon knows what is to become of you, he is trying to blind you from the truth, I am here to show you the light, and only through the beautiful oceans of darkness can the light be shown." it said.

Takato was silent, it was true he wished that Gallantmon had told him everything, Takato didn't know who to trust, his old friend, or the other him.

"Ah silence, so Takato do you wish to see the light, I can give you anything your heart desires" it spoke.

"Anything…" Takato said, a vision of Rika flashed by him, he was having that urge again, the urge to get her whatever the cost.

"Yes Takato, I can give you anything, even that gorgeous red head you crave, just give in to the bliss of the dark light, show your disgust towards those who have deceived you, that includes Gallantmon, show your hatred…" it spoke as Takato came nearer to the piece of ice.

"Who are you…?" Takato asked.

"We've been over this already, I'm you, I am Takato, but I see that will cause some confusion, hmmm…how about ExTakato" he said.

Takato looked as he came closer to the ice, inside he saw the wondrous comfort of the black light, and Rika was there to greet him.

"I…want to be in…the black light…" Takato said, in a trance as him inched his way forward.

"That's it, come myself, come my brother, come my blood, switch your places with me and you can be in dark paradise" ExTakato spoke as his hand pressed against the glass.

"I give…myself…for the chance…to be with Rika…show my hatred to those…who oppose me…" Takato said as his finger tips were an inch away from the glass.

Suddenly a vicious wind picked up, the discarded red rose that Takato had dropped was carried along by the strong gusts and fell, it fell into the path between the two Takato's

Takato sat up and picked up the shallow coloured red flower, the petals stroked his hand as a sudden warmth passed through him; hope bloomed in him as if his body were spring itself, Takato looked at the so called paradise and stepped back with a look of anger on his face.

"I won't give into my dark side! I have hope in me, I won't be deceived by your fake offers, your not me! Your just a slave of the darkness!" Takato yelled. At the ice shard.

ExTakato snarled and the black smoke that had consumed the ice before rose again and hew began to disappear.

"You just made a mistake, one of which you will die for, we'll meet again Takato, only this time I will be the one standing tall as I kill you!" ExTakato shouted.

"Go away, I hate you, I hate you! I won't fall prey to your pathetic attempts to get to go to your side!" Takato shrieked at the fading figure.

"Hmmm, well I guess we will have to try other methods, I wonder what Rika is doing this fine morning…" ExTakato spoke evilly as he smiled.

"If you touch her I'll make you suffer!" Takato shouted. The next second ExTakato vanished, Takato looked at the rose, it had saved him from a fate worse than death, living in a fake world was to horrible to think about.

"…Rika!" Takato's brain suddenly switched on and raced out of the park down the high street.

"Please God; let her be okay...I can't let ExTakato hurt her!" Takato prayed as he ran through the misty roads.

Takato had just met an enemy who was created from the darkness and was thrived on pure hatred…


	4. Sorrow

Digimon 

Forbidden Love

Sorrow 

Takato ran widely as he skidded through the different alleys and streets, his heart was throbbing and his face had gone a ghostly pale.

Takato had been running for at least twenty minutes and wasn't planning on taking a break until he found Rika, the visions of his other self hurting her was too painful to even think about.

"ExTakato couldn't have got to her yet; I hope…, it takes at least half an hour to get from the park to her house, there no way he could have made there" Takato rationally thought.

He swerved around the last corner and fell in sight of the final high street. Takato ran with a faint bit of hope, he still had a chance to get to her before he did.

"I can't believe I actually met my dark side. I didn't expect myself to look so lizard like, man…it gives the creep just to even think about him being me" Takato shuddered as his evil counterpart haunted his mind.

"What's even weirder is that red rose showed me the truth, I found the light thanks to it…maybe Gallantmon gave me this for more than he lead on to be…" he said as he starred at the blood coloured flower.

"He told me that it was only a lead, but a crucial part in the war with the darkness…What does he mean by a lead! This doesn't show me anything, and the darkness, couldn't he have given me a better description" Takato said as he head hurt from too much thinking.

He came to the tiniest bit of road left before her house, but Takato's legs gave in with exhaustion, he fell to the dusty road and let himself regain feeling into his half dead legs and try and get at least a quarter of oxygen back through his lungs.

"Damn it (pant)…I hate being human...(pant)…sometimes" Takato said as his lungs screamed in pain. Takato wished he was back in the old days with his friends and he was in the digital world, and he and Gallantmon were one being.

Painful as it may be to admit, Takato liked the trill of being a hero, he liked being more powerful than others, sometimes he wished and dreamed he was a super hero, even with his digimon, he liked to above them.

"Hey…I haven't had shot and drawing imaginary heroes in ages, that always lifted my spirits, maybe I should give it a shot when I get back home…being a hero, it's one of the things I truly wish that I could become, being a silver-knight on a white stallion…coming for Rika…my true love" Takato said dreamily.

Then he suddenly remembered he was in a race against time with his other self and leapt off the ground and continued running down the road.

Takato ran for other slow five minutes before halting outside an entrance to a nearby wood that drifted off from the city. The reason being that there was a perfectly alright, perfectly safe, perfectly unharmed and perfectly sexy Rika sitting on a bench starring into the underbelly of the wood.

"She's not harmed, whatsoever? Didn't ExTakato hurt her in anyway? Thank you!" Takato prayed as a smile appeared on his face but soon turned to a serious frown as he looked around the area.

"Better keep vigilant in case he comes back, in the mean time I better talk to her…she's so beautiful…yikes! Take it easy Takato, lose your cool and it's game over for me and Rika!" Takato thought.

Takato came to the side of the bench t she the object of his desires, Rika was wearing a thin red trench coat that seemed a little over sized for her, she was also starring into space with a warm smile on her face.

"Must have been that asshole Ryo who gave her that coat, damn I hate that guy for stealing her away from me" Takato thought spitefully.

Without further delay he tapped the girl on the shoulder, causing a slight startle from her before giving him a friendly smile.

"Hey Takato! Haven't seen you around lately" Rika said as she motioned for him to sit down next to her.

"Yeah...I've been doing some stuff around at home…anyway how have you been doing these last few weeks" Takato asked cheerfully.

"Oh you know me…challenging people to a digimon card game match…having dinner with Ryo…that's about it really" Rika said as she flustered a deep red at the mention of her boyfriends name.

Takato contained the berserk volcano that was just itching to blow it's top and let out a million reasons why Takato hated Ryo.

"Contain the pain…contain the jealousy…contain the spite…contain the sorrow…" Takato breathed easily as he put on a dram award winning smile.

"That's good. So you and Ryo are really quite the couple huh?" Takato said.

"Yep. We-re taking slow at the moment, just dinner, going on a few dates...and…other things…" Rika said as she giggled slightly.

"What, like sleeping with the guy!" Takato thought, getting more furious by the second, but he cooled his jets and nodded.

"So Takato, you found a girl yet?" Rika asked sweetly. Takato looked a little out of it, he wished she hadn't asked that, his heart couldn't take it if he lied, but still…

"Well…I do…like…well…love one girl" Takato said as he gripped his knees.

"Aw that's so sweet. What's her name" The dreaded question was asked and Takato didn't have an answer, only the truth that would leave him in more pain than if he lied.

Takato looked at the ground, the colour rising to his cheeks, a small puddle bowed before him near his feet, his reflection clear as the summer sky, in it he saw a teenager who was currently scared out of his wit.

"Takato?" Rika asked as she looked at the silent boy.

Takato's eyes were fixed on his reflection, the colour was a pale blue, one colour of which began to change to a powdery black.

"No. Not now…please don't let him come…" Takato thought as his dreaded other self appeared, though he was only clear to Takato, not anyone else.

"Go ahead my other, tell her the truth, she'll scream and you'll never win her heart, or lie and see if you can keep up on the build up of lies you weave, ether way I still enjoy your suffering…you sorrow is simply delicious." he spoke as his forked tongue spat out at him from below.

Takato felt his body go through a panic attack, he looked at ExTakato and felt the darkness close in on him. The anguish and pain drowning him in their rivers of blackness.

Just then he looked at the shining red rose that seemed to be a torch in the pitch black of his heart, the rose gave him that similar confidence and he made his decision.

"Takato, are you okay" Rika asked again, this time he faced her with teary eyes but a smile.

"Yeah I'm fine Rika, anyway the girl I love is…" Takato stood up and moved slightly nearer, causing Rika to glimpse up in confusion. Takato moved his hand to the side of he waist which caused a sudden rush through him and Rika.

"Takato-" Rika was short off from a response for the reason that Takato had pressed his lips via hers, Takato shut his eyes and the red rose began to shine. He quickly parted and he looked lovingly through her eyes, Rika didn't have time to think for the next moment Takato had vanished from sight and she was left in the lone wilderness.

"What just happened…" Rika said as she touched her lips which tingled from a slight bit of pleasure.

Takato had ran faster than he had ever ran before, he had kissed Rika but only for about a second and then had ran off back to his house, he was alone in his room, sitting down and facing the ceiling with the rose in his hand. Maybe he didn't understand things yet but for a reason beyond explanation he new his life had taken a new direction.

"Looks like your more than you appear to be…" Takato smiled at the rose which seemed to smile back.

He sat there for the majority of the morning as the world outside was like a sea, a sea that he would surely drown him, for that the world sometimes felt like you were drowning in sorrow…


	5. Fear

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Fear 

The misty morning was on the edge of the afternoon but the thunderclouds blocked the sun's path towards the city below and thus the inhabitants were kept within their day of coldness and fogginess.

Our hero, Takato, was in his room and was fast asleep, he had drifted off from his close encounter with his dark side and managed to steal an kiss from Rika, the rose lay entwined between his fingers and close to his chest, the rose seemed to protect him, like it were a sword of some kind and he felt stronger with it.

Takato dreamed again only his dreams were in the light of his imagination and he felt that he was out of reach form his darkness, if only that were true…

Across from his home, about three miles off from where he lived, a small puddle of rain was dripping off anther building, ordinarily it would be nothing to look at, if you didn't count the fact that it suddenly became a black, putrid liquid.

The puddle then rippled from the centre and spread out over the body of water, with each thin ring it kicked out the visibility of two dagger-like eyes became very clear.

The eyes were mixed with dark shades of yellow, red and sharp purple, the eyes contained the images of death, murder, and blood.

These creatures feast on the suffering of others, they thrive the horrors of which they chosen targets feel, they enjoy oh so much the marvellous taste of blood that trickles down their scaly throats, these creatures are of the abyss but they also divine in their power.

The eyes foresaw the house of which the sleeping boy rested, ho he would enjoy seeing his heart torn out of his soon to be corpse, it would be a delicacy fit for the emperor of darkness himself.

ExTakato felt stomach feel the need for some freshly harvested flesh, and the crimson water of which kept his nemesis alive to calm his thirst.

"Yes my other, sleep, you feel less pain for when you die! Look at what he has forced me to become…the cesspool of our world, for it is the only way to make contact with this prison you call a home…but after your dead, I can become physical and walk beyond the boundaries of other warriors of the darkness" ExTakato shivered in anticipation, he desperately wished to feel the cold air for the first time.

"Now Takato, see if you can defeat my minions, slaves under the power of darkness and creatures of you own fear! Arise!" He yelled.

The black water began to trail off in seven different directions, they suddenly stopped and slowly began to spin as if they were tiny whirlpools, they soon began too move faster and faster and faster still.

" Farewell Takato…" he said as his minions finally entered from the water and took physical shape and leapt towards Takato's home.

Takato finally managed too open his eyelids and got up, he gripped the rose and headed downstairs. Along the way down the flights of stairs a strange rumbling noise filled the room.

Takato turned in alarm, nothing was there, the noise made another comeback and Takato looked down, he sighed as the noise came from his growling stomach, he hadn't eaten in almost two days.

"Well I better get something soon or I'll be as skinny as an Impmon" Takato humoured himself and went down to the kitchen.

His parents owned a bakery and had taut Takato how to make nearly everything, considering he was really, really hungry Takato decided to attempt to make a full English breakfast.

Takato hummed lightly as he cooked fried egg, bacon, sausages and toast, after about ten hungry minutes he finished and set it out on a table, he devoured the sausages in a world record time and stuffed toast down his throat.

"Mmmm, maybe I should cook for Rika one time, if I ever get the chance…" Takato said in disappointment, he really should just give up with trying to earn Rika's heart but he wasn't that type of guy.

He slowly eat the rest of his meal before deciding that he should try to have a shower, he was starting to stink more than a Raymon. He went upstairs and stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower, the icy water relentlessly battered his skin and he stood their and let the water attempt to was all his problems and fears away.

Unknown to Takato he had some uninvited guests, the creatures were made of nothing but darkness and phased through the door easily. They slwly trudged their way into the house and searched the downstairs part of the house, they sniffed around with their sent, for you see they were blind, upon entering the new world their sight had been lost to make way for them too be made solid.

The sniffed around the kitchen, they came across some food, they sniffed in the warm scent and figured that their target was still on the premises, one trailed itself upstairs towards a movement that it heard, like running water.

Takato lathered his hair with the strawberry fragranced shampoo and washed his body with the icy water that beat down on him, he breathed heavily; he couldn't stop thinking about kissing Rika, she was so beautiful and she had an amazing personality.

He touched his lips, how they tingled from the sensation of brushing his lips with hers, her taste was unreliable and Takato wished beyond anything else that he could have more of that pleasure, he craved it so much.

The sound of loud footsteps reached his ear, Takato sharply jerked his head towards the direction of the sound, the footsteps were heavy and each thundered in his heart, almost like it was thunder coming up the stairs itself.

Takato stood there, he was pretty sure it was stupid idea but he was frozen to the spot, the footsteps suddenly stopped as did Takato's breathing, he stayed in silence for about thirty seconds and exhaled with his gale of breath.

"For a second I thought something was actually trying to kill me," Takato said, his eyes were fixed on the wall.

He then shut his eyes and returned to washing his hair and humming peacefully, he had no idea why he heard footsteps maybe it was his imagination playing on him again.

The split second later two talons surged through the wall in front, Takato gave a shriek of terror, the creatures below heard the sound.

The talons were barely an inch away from Takato, they were quite large and looked very hard and sharp, they were dressed in a silvery colour, Takato backed away and fell in the bath tub behind him, the talons bashed through the wall and the wrist below was revealed, it was like black fire surging all the way down through it's arm.

"ExTakato!" Takato thought in despair, the arm broke through the wall and the black fire reached up to a joined shoulder blade.

Takato jumped out of the bath tub and grabbed the red rose he had stored on the mantle piece, it had kept him alive through this whole nightmare and was pretty sure he would need it now.

Takato ran though the second door out of the bathroom and jumped down the stairs and into the living room, he grabbed a set of clothes and quickly fitted them on, the sound of thunderous footsteps could be heard again only this time it was a full stampede.

Takato backed away into the kitchen and was greeted by his guests, their bodies were coated in black fire, eyes that were pale with a face with nothing but darkness, the similar talons of steel and horns that sprouted from their temples going backwards.

Takato felt his body go numb as the creatures came closer, their hot and slimy breath crept onto Takato's face, he dropped the rose that fell too the shadowy floor.

Takato couldn't scream or even whisper, his throat became dry and dusty and the creatures weren't in a talkative mood.

Takato breathed fast and shortly and backed away slowly, the absolute fear rendering him helpless, he backed his way to a wall and swallowed a lump in his throat. Inside their blind eyes Takato saw the image of ExTakato laughing, he also felt himself feel as good as dead.

"_Death…kill…hurt…destroy…_" their voices were ghostly and quiet but soared through the house and Takato's soul.

"…You can't win…ExTakato…" Takato managed too say, his heart spoke differently, and his terrified eyes took all the bravery out. He shut his eyes and waited for death, though his mind said differently.

Inside the complete darkness Takato was alone, terrified and surprisingly back in his boxers like the nightmare he had had, the darkness was laughing and hurting him, with his evil side everywhere he looked.

Then a stream of light burst the darkness and ExTakato vanished from sight, Takato perched up his head too see the light that walked forward and the light came in a beautiful form.

"Rika?" Takato said in disbelief, indeed the girl Takato wished for was in front of him, and to his surprise in bare essentials which made his face burn, Rika bent down towards him and lifted up his face with one hand.

"Don't give in Takato, if you let your dark side win then I'll be gone forever, and my heart will remain in the clutches of your rival" she spoke clearly.

Takato saw the images of Ryo and ExTakato floating above him, he felt rivalry towards one and hatred to another, he then saw the beautiful girl in front of him and that didn't seem to matter anymore.

"Rika…I'm afraid…of losing you…and of death" Takato admitted, he sank his head in shame.

Rika lifted his head up and moved her lips deeper into his and Takato felt his mind go blank with heavily paradise, Rika began grip Takato's neck and surge it forward into the kiss and Takato felt himself grip her waist and stroke her sides.

"Don't give in Takato…use the rose…it can be your friend and guide in this nightmare" Rika said as she purred in Takato's ear before vanishing and Takato was left alone.

Takato opened his eyes and the creatures of death were almost upon him but the timid feeling of dying and losing Rika vanished. Takato gave a cocky grin and knew that he couldn't lose.

Takato skidded out of the way just in time before the creature sliced him into mince meat and grabbed the fallen rose, he held it at his side with a confident expression on his face, the creatures roared and lunged forward at him with talons armed.

"I'm not going to die here and now! You want to kill me then come and claim me!" Takato yelled as he ran forward towards the charging creatures with the rose firming in his grip.

Takato was about to run into a fight creatures that were born and are ready to strike on his fear…


	6. Rage

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Rage 

Takato felt the fast beating of his heart as he raced full speed towards the creatures that were almost defiantly going to kill him. Still he strode on with the single red rose glistening in the sweat and light

The creatures had their claws bared and were about to fulfil their master's wish, it was the head of his other that he required, then they would without question retrieve it for him.

Time seemed to slow as both human and creature fell forwards into a death duel, Takato armed with a rose that somehow was more than it appeared and the darkness with minions made for the hunt.

"I must have officially gone insane, I mean I'm charging into a battle with creatures from the darkness and all I have is a rose! Yep, I've lost it" Takato said as he continued to charge.

It came to the point where one creature of darkness was inches from Takato with it's claws, Takato took a deep gulp of air jumped forward, narrowly dodging it.

The other creatures turned and immediately started to slash at Takato who didn't have time to blink, he skidded out of the way as one cut his breakfast table like it was made of tissue paper.

Takato leapt over the kitchen sink and into the hall just as one creature impaled it's claw through the wall in front of him, making Takato fall to the ground in shock.

"Move it, move it, move it!" Takato ordered himself as he ducked under the thrashing claw and ran up the stairs.

He got up to the landing, he watched as the creatures bust through the wall with death wailing around there bodies of dark fire.

"I have to hand it to ExTakato, he knows how to pick his minions!" Takato said trembling as he ran for it.

He came into his parents room and fell on the bed while shaking like someone from Hawaii, his skin had gone pale and his heart was beating so fast he couldn't even hear it pound against his chest.

He got up quivering and wondered where the hell the creatures of his nightmares had got to, he sat on the bed and tried to regain some control over his freaked out body.

Suddenly a black claw jabbed through the mattress at least a millimetre away from Takato, he gave a shout of surprise and rolled over to the others side.

"I hate it when they appear like that!" Takato thought out loud but was immediately pulled out of his thoughts as more claws raised from the mattress.

Takato rolled like an army soldier, left and right, forwards and back, he spun his body into all kinds of shapes to avoid the ever close sharp blades of his demise.

He then jumped over and landed near the edge of the bed just as the last one rose, nearly striking a male's more personal area.

"That was _way_ too close!" Takato said, the door then smashed open as the dark creatures continued to pursue him.

Takato practically flew down the flights of stairs and down into the hall once more, he ran and charged through the open door into the garden, the mist was covering the entire city now.

The creatures broke through the walls with no sign of giving up the hunt, there master had ordered the head of his other and it was their life to serve him.

"Don't any of you try and use the door!" Takato jumped of the rose bushes as the creatures ripped them.

"Maybe if I survive this I can get these guys to do Mum's gardening" Takato thought while jumping and ducking attacks from his chasers.

His carefree words seemed to sooth the constant fear that drove his mind to the border of insanity, if he ignored the strain on his legs and lungs then maybe he could outrun the creatures.

His thoughts were rushed when one of the creatures appeared in front of him and surged it's claw forward, Takato bent his body to the side so that it didn't slash him, rather push him with such force that the wall in front of him was broken and he and the creature were sent flying into the living room.

Takato was slumped on the side of the table, he opened his eyes and rubbed his head, he felt a long drop of blood go down his cheek.

The rose surprisingly was unharmed and the blood dripped on it, the most exhilarating scent passed through Takato's nostrils, it was the mix of a sweet fragrant rose that made his body relax and the strong and powerful rush of his blood that made his skin crawl.

"It's amazing, it's strong but tender, vicious but gentle, like shadow and light, steel and silk, blood on a rose…" Takato's mind wandered from the savage creatures that hunted him to the incredible smell that blanketed his thoughts.

Just then table behind him was ripped apart and his chaser of evil were once again his main concern, it struck down with it's claw but Takato dived out of the way.

"If I can't run from them, what do I do, I can't fight them!" Takato said in despair, two more creatures then burst through the wall behind him, they tried to impale him.

He dodged the first claw but the second got a clean cut all the way down his back, his blue shirt ripped and his back had two giant gashes that spilled fresh blood.

Takato fell down in shock as the pain caught up with him, he tried his best to keep on running he felt so much agony.

"My…back…oh man I've got…get out of here!" Takato's voice was hoarse from screaming, he limply fell to the side of the sofa and exhaled breath from his teeth.

One creature came over him and Takato knew what it was planning to do, it raised it's claw high and prepared to strike.

"No! It can't end like this! I can't just die when there's a menace out there who came from my darkness! I can't die! It's not fair!" Takato thought in anger, ExTakato's smile haunted him, he would win, and he hadn't even figured out what Gallantmon's message had meant.

The creature raised it's claw until the bleak sunshine that just managed to escape the fog shone on it, making it look like a touch, it thrust it down.

"It's not fair! It can't end!" Takato thought as he closed his eyes, the burning sadness inside him grew.

"It can't end!" Takato's anger grew too incomparable lengths.

The claw struck down with great force, but it had sliced through the ground instead of Takato's body, all the creatures looked around in confusion.

Takato didn't know where he was, but he knew that he loved it, he was floating in the air, beneath him, above him and all around him were blooming red flowers, flowers beyond the horizon and as high as the sky.

"Red…so much red…it's beautiful" Takato thought, he could see Rika lying in this world of roses , calling him forward.

This world only lasted for half a second, because when he blinked, he was back in his ruined hoe, only in the kitchen area a few metres away from the creatures.

"Wait a minute! I was there…but now I'm here…I was there…then I disappeared to that world of roses…like I somehow…teleported a brief distance away…" Takato's head was spinning, the rose in his hand which was infused with blood had gleamed slightly as his anger had grown.

The creatures were dazed, but only for a brief moment, they battle rammed Takato into another wall, the sting from his wounded back made Takato wince in pain.

"Great! I'm going to die for a second time!" Takato thought aloud as the creatures of darkness advanced.

"I can't imagine what life will be…maybe everyone will miss me, I certainly have friends who will morn for me, after all there's Henry, Ryo-" Takato stopped and thought of what Rika and Ryo would think.

"Would she miss me? She would, of coarse she would…but then Ryo will come…steal her away again! Why does she have to go for him! Is my love for her forbidden by some unseen law!" Takato felt his heart beat faster as flashes of his love passed through him.

"I can feel it! The pain of loss…I can she her smiling as I die all because she is in the arms of another! I can the feel the rage!" Takato felt anger take over his body.

One creature zoomed forward with claws armed, the blood infused rose in Takato's hand lit up like a firework, as soon as the creature had reach Takato, it was screwed of the end of something sharp exactly where the rose used to be.

Takato opened his eyes that he had shut as he had seen the creature charge, but he noticed it still as a statue, all of a sudden he felt cold metal around his hand, he was no long holding the rose but something just as light only glittering in his eyes.

The handle was thin a normal platinum, up to the handle where one small curved bit of metal curved upwards at the top of the handle and the opposite bit of metal curved down, above that was a small silver ring, inside it shooting straight up was a thinner length of steel that was as wide as a 3cm, the curved handles were decorated in crimson red with glittering small diamonds, it had impaled the darkness monster and was strongly held in Takato's grip, it was a rapier.

Takato marvelled at it's sleek beauty, it's sharpness and it's decoration, it then hit him in the head that what has once been a blood spilt rose was now a shining sword, then Gallantmon's intentions for the rose was made clear, the rose was a weapon, a surprise attack for the evil, it had surprised him too.

"A rapier? T-T-This is incredible!" Takato said he hoisted the blade back and the creature fell lifelessly to the ground, it then evaporated into black smoke which soon vanished, the other creatures roared and leapt forward.

With indescribable speed Takato was up and had performed a successful low spin with his sword, it had sliced one creature through the waist, black flames burned from the wound and it died like it's comrade.

"Where is this skill coming from? It's like the rose-I mean-sword is giving me amazing power!" Takato jumped through the air, impaling a creature through the neck downward, it cried in pain before dying.

Two creatures jumped forward and tried to grab Takato, who did a sweep kick that sent them off balance and freefalling down, one meet the ground while another kneed up by Takato and stabbed three times in succession before bursting into black flames.

"You haunted my mind! Feed on my fear! Well now…time for you to taste death!" Takato yelled while sickly smiling before striking the fallen creature through the back.

"Since when was I so cocky! It's like a whole new me!" Takato thought as he saw the last creature, it jumped forward, intending on crashing into him with it's claws but Takato, using incredible agility, jumped and corkscrewed in the air, he then slashed like crazy, each movement to perfection.

"100 slashes, a one way ticket to the abyss" Takato said darkly, the last creature was then shredded into small black embers.

"I know you can hear me ExTakato! Soon you will meet the same fate!" Takato yelled into the nothingness.

Somewhere not to far away, the dark circle of water snarled and disappeared, back into the dark cesspool from where he came, planning revenge.

Takato soon after used all his remaining energy to walk up the stairs into his bedroom, which was the only room not destroyed, he fell to his knees with his back against the wall, to tired to do anything but rest.

Takato hadn't realised it yet but he had unlocked a power that was leading to his destiny, the key to it had been his rage…..


	7. Mask

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Mask 

Takato had been resting away his afternoon, sleeping, starring into space and more sleeping, firmly gripped in his pale hands was the rapier.

The sudden uproar of evil had startled Takato, usually the digidestined would band together and save the world like before but now it was only a secret to him, the sudden attack by his other had mad things even worse.

"It's not fair. First I've been depressed because of lost love, nearly committing suicide, having realistic nightmares, finding out the evil is my other, nearly getting killed by fearful creatures and what's worse is that I stole a kiss from Rika, she probably hates me for that…" Takato moaned.

He got up, looking closely at the sword, what amazed him was the skill he had used, it was like the sword was leading him like a dance instructor, each twirl and attack was done on pure reflex, he had seemed a little darker as well.

He swung the sword mindfully, he then wondered if it was a one time thing, maybe it only worked once, he needed a target to test it out.

"Okay then, if I can throw 500 hundred bits of paper in the air and successfully slice each one in a straight line down the middle while it's still in the air then I know that this thing gives me incredible sword skill." Takato thought aloud.

He picked up a bundle of paper from his Dad's study, he stood in the middle of his room, took a deep breath and threw it up, paper glided slowly everywhere in the room.

"Now!" Takato said as he gripped the rapier, he jumped forward and literally flew through the air and cutting faster than a 200mph sports car.

He then landed gracefully on one knee, the sword pointing to the side, he turned around to see what he'd done, he turned around and his jaw dropped, all the paper had been cut directly down the middle, and had landed into two separate piles.

"That proves it! The sword gives me great agility and skill! That's why Gallantmon gave it to me! It gives me powers!" Takato said jumping around like a little kid.

Despite having a digimon, he had always wanted powers of his own, he danced around with a massive grin on his face and then yawned, jumped around had been tiring, he stretched and clicked his back.

"Wait a minute! Wasn't my back bleeding after an attack!" Takato took off his shirt and looked at it, there were to rips in his shirt and defiantly blood stained into it.

Takato looked in the mirror and looked at his back, there were two pale and fading scars, but no blood, it had healed, and extremely fast.

"I wonder," Takato thought, he went to his desk and took out a Swiss army knife, it had been a little souvenir he had picked up on one of his holidays, he took a deep breath an shut his eyes and cut I across his arm, he winced as line of red liquid appeared.

It was normal until Takato noticed the wound healing, the blood draining off of his skin, soon after two minutes it was back to the way it had been.

"Whoa! Healing powers! That explains my back! Hey I wonder if I'm any stronger!" Takato looked in the mirror and marvelled at the strong figure in front of him, his physic was a lot bulkier, the muscles on his arms and shoulders were a lot bigger.

"I may not be as strong as the Hulk but it still beats the wimpier me, I guess like a radioactive active spider the rose is giving me powers! What else can I do?" Takato sat down and thought before putting on a fresh shirt.

He couldn't think of anything else and went outside to check the damage that had been done too his house, there were several holes in his walls and he would have to pay loads just too get interior fixed.

"How do I explain this too Mum and Dad, they'll ground me to the next millennia!" Takato said he went over to the wall and rubbed his hands on the inside of the wall, just then his hands began to glow faintly on the outline, he back off in shock.

"Now what's happening too me!" Takato said he threw his hands in front of him, the bit's of broken wall shined a similar colour to Takato's hands.

Takato looked at the glowing rubble, he moved his hands forward, the rubble was pushed back by an invisible force.

"Huh?" Takato said as he moved his hands closer, same as the last time, parts of the wrecked house moved towards him, Takato moved his hands back and forth, each time the rubble following like a shadow.

"Whoa! I can move objects telekinetically! Let's see if I an lift it!" Takato raised his hands, suddenly getting a painful feeling in his head.

"Ouch! There's so much strain on my mind! It's just like trying to lift a girder, maybe I need to practise a bit…" Takato thought as he rubbed his aching temples.

Slowly he tried to move it, it hurt less and less the more he tried, soon he could raise it above the house, he then let it drop and breathed heavily.

"Wow! I just need to keep a clear mind, focus on what I want to move and it does it! Hey…maybe it could fix the wall!" Takato thought excitedly.

He went close to the wall, he shut his eyes and breathed slowly, he raised his right hand and concentrated, his hand glowed a scarlet colour and all the rubble moved to his silent command, after a long 10 minutes all the wall was fixed and Takato opened his eyes.

"Wow (pant) that took some strain on the (pant) body and mind (pant)" Takato breathed quickly, all this power was coming in so fast he could hardly keep up.

"Wait a second, before that creature could kill me, I somehow disappeared and reappeared" Takato smirked.

"Okay then let's give it a shot! Teleport…now!" Takato shouted, nothing happened, he was standing in the same spot.

"Huh? Teleport activate!" Takato yelled again, still noting, he tried at least fifty time but was stuck there like an idiot.

"Come on! Let's try something different, maybe if I focus on where I want to be, keep a clear thought…" Takato stood still and relaxed.

Then, bubbling up from the dark depths of his mind, a faint shine of red came over Takato, in a split second there was a quick red flash of light and he was gone.

Again Takato was in that world of roses, it seemed to be in the middle of reality, like a bus stop to where he wanted to go.

When he next blinked he was standing in a whole different place, he was on the roof of his house, and he didn't have much grip.

"Whoa! Too high! Too high!" Takato said shaking his arms everywhere trying to keep balance, then he slipped off of the roof and was sent plummeting down.

"Aghhhhhh! Come on! Teleport now!" He said, he focused and like moving objects with his mind the more he did it the better he was at it, he vanished and reappeared on the grass outside.

"Yikes…that was close…I'll practise teleportation later, hey…these powers are a blessing, I could use these against ExTakato!" he said with a fist clench, he was full of energy.

"Great…I'm starting to sound like Captain America…but maybe I can do this, I've always dreamed of being a hero…yeah!" Takato said as he raced through the house to his room.

He grabbed a chair and sat on his desk, he grabbed his drawing pad, he smiled slyly and used his mind power to levitate a pencil toward him.

He started drawing like crazy, he spent all of the afternoon scribbling down idea's, he threw most of them away, he needed something to match his powers and weapon.

"Okay, the costume has to be red, that's the colour of all my powers, do I need a symbol? Nah, I need a mask, it has to be something that doesn't cover all my face but enough so that I won't be recognised!" Takato thought as millions of ideas poured into his head.

Soon after three hours drawing Takato had just coloured the last of his finishing costume, he smiled, it was genius if he said so himself, he would use this to fight his other. He put the finished drawing in a box and put the rapier which had converted back into a rose on top of it and slid it under his bed for safe keeping.

When he looked out of his window, it was dark but the night was young, he thought he would go for a stroll too relax before turning in.

He grabbed his coat and headed out, the streetlights illuminated the city and all the late night parties were on, Takato walked down the streets and let the cool breeze pass through his hair.

"Man, the city at night is incredible, the wind, the sky, the lights, the-" Takato stopped as he heard a loud voice cry out.

"Help! Somebody help me!" it was the voice of an older teenage boy, without thinking Takato raced to where the sound was coming from.

He came to an alley, a filthy thug was assaulting a the young man with a club, Takato was about to race in when his conscious came into view.

"Am I crazy I can't go in there, that guy's twice my size…but I have amazing powers now! I could take him no sweat, but I'll need some sort of mask! If the police find out who I am that we lead to whole new problems!" Takato thought in desperation.

H e looked around and noticed a set of bin bags at the start of the alley, he ripped off the material and quickly put in two eye holes, and tied it around his head.

The thug had whacked the man into giving him is wallet, he was knocked unconscious against the wall with cuts and bruises all over his face, the thug smiled and tucked the wallet into his pocket and was about to walk out of the alley when.

"That's far enough…" a young voice said, the thug looked at a teen with a black mask around his eyes, he looked very dramatic with the moonlight backing him up.

"Hahahaha! Real amusing kid, but got to run, now step out of the way, you don't want to be at the receiving end of this club!" his deep voice boomed.

"Receiving, wow, I didn't think ugly muggers like you could use such big words!" Takato taunted.

"Why you little!" the thug charged forward with his club raised high, he meant to slam it into Takato and crack his skull, but he never made it that far, his body was frozen to the spot.

"Huh? What's going on here?" the man said, he was surrounded by a thin red aura, Takato had raised his hand up and focused and everything else came naturally.

"What's the matter? Afraid to take on a kid like me?" Takato sniggered, the thug tried to move his arm but it wasn't moving, he thrashed about trying to move but he couldn't.

"Now, let's have fun!" Takato yelled as he surged his arm forward, moments later the thug was sent flying back at neck breaking speed, he smashed into a wall.

"Ouch! Your going to feel that in the morning" Takato chuckled, the thug limped up, now free from the aura, he snorted and ran forward like a bull.

"Why do bad guys never learn their lesson? Oh well," Takato said as he shrugged his shoulders, he surged his arm forward again, the thug stopped dead in his tracks, then Takato raised his arm up, the thug was propelled into the sky.

"Agggghhhhh! Put me down! Put me down! Put me down!" the thug squealed, Takato gave an evil smirk.

"If you say so!" Takato let his arm fall limply, the thug fell from the sky like a stone, he screamed and shut his eyes, at the last moment Takato swung his arm to the side, the thug connected with the wall.

He fell to the ground and groaned at the pain, he then spat out some blood and got up, anger in his eyes.

"I'm going to kill you!" he yelled, taking out a pistol from his trouser pocket, he loaded it, and aimed for Takato.

He fired three shots, but they achieved nothing, Takato had vanished from sight, the thug looked around wildly to try and find him.

"Guns? A sign that you are a coward" a voice said from behind him, the thug whirled around to see Takato with his arms crossed and his back facing him.

"If you try and take a life, then you truly are evil, and for such evil, you must be punished!" Takato spoke darkly.

"Spare me the lecture! I'll make sure you die painfully! You freak!" he shouted as he got the gun to his neck.

Instantly the gun was surrounded by a red aura and shattered, Takato then spun around and delivered a bone breaking uppercut to the thug's jaw.

The thug staggered back, temporality dazed, Takato then jumped high and kicked him around the side, the thug was shot back to the alley wall.

Takato raised his arm which glowed red, the shiver of fear went down the thug's spine, Takato shut his eyes and breathed out.

"Never again" he whispered, the thug was hit by an invisible force, hit crushed his lungs, he wailed in pain, soon the force of the attack shattered the alley wall, the thug was then lying in a pile of bricks, dead or alive? Takato didn't know.

With his mind he pulled out the victim's wallet, he went over to the young man, he put his hand on his skull, his mind healed the injuries and soon he woke up.

Takato threw the wallet on his lap, the man shook his head in confusion and looked at the scene of the battle.

"Your safe now" Takato said, in an instant he vanished in a flash of red, leaving the man with his confused thoughts.

Back at his home Takato had teleported to his room, he removed the black mask and threw it on his desk.

"I actually saved someone, and hurting the bad guy felt…good, maybe my powers can be used for something else…the city is silently in chaos since the digimon threat but no does anything about it. I could use my powers not just for ExTakato but for everyone…" Takato thought.

He looked under his bed, he took out the box and opened it, the rose stood there, Tkato gently moved it out the way and looked at his finished drawing, hope shining in his eyes as Gallentmon's words shrouded his mind.

_The real question is what can you do Takato, what can you do…_


	8. Justice

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Justice 

It had reached eleven at night, the city lights were fading and nearly everyone was inside and sheltered from the icy winds; only one part of the city was beaming with light, from police search-lights.

Swat teams and regular police were high and low and were swarming the building; a group terrorists had planted a hydrogen bomb on the roof and would activate it unless their demands were met.

One person watching this on TV was Rika, she had Ryo over and were watching the news; she felt so useless because she didn't have her digimon anymore.

"Hey Rika! I'm getting us a take out, what do you prefer Chinese or a pizza?" Ryo asked from the next room, when she didn't answer he came in; she was in her silk blue dressing gown and cuddled up in ball.

"Rika?" he asked again, this time she turned and an embarrassed look came over her face.

"Sorry Ryo; I'll have a Chinese tonight" she said as she returned her gaze to the screen, there was practically a small army of cops down at the terrorist site.

"Wishing your digimon was here?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist, she looked up and nodded was a small frown.

"Me too, we could save the city again if they were here, but we just got to hope that the police can do something about it" he said as he kissed her.

"Yeah, we just to hope" Rika said smiling.

Back at the police surrounded tower, a reporter came onto the scene with her camera man ready at her side, she was the first on the scene for field work and it would score her a big raise if she got this right.

"Okay roll film!" she yelled as she combed back her hair.

"Your on!" the camera man said as he rolled the film, the reporter stood straight and cleared her throat.

"This is Myca Kenshi for Channel 3 news, in our fair city tonight a large group of terrorists has planted a deadly hydrogen bomb, capable of destroying the whole city and all residents, the police are trying to reason with them to surrender and leave the bomb to them" she spoke.

On the actual tower, 10 men dressed in black with night vision goggles and semi-auto rifles stood menacingly, they had an oval shaped device that when triggered would cause an explosion within the radiance of sending the city sky high.

"Ha! Look at them all, running scared and just asking for death!" one said evilly.

"Don't trigger the bomb until we get our money! Then we arm the bomb and clear out!" the second said as he looked at the dangerous device.

"I've got our transport that should get us out of here within the time limit" the third one said.

While the others planned their escape and deadly plan to destroy the city a shadow watched from the sidelines; his face hidden by a mask, beneath it starred the eyes of a young man, fresh for the hunt.

"Attention! The police force has arranged a trade, one million in cash for the device, we got a team coming up to make the switch!" the police chief yelled from below with a megaphone.

"You hear that, they got our money get ready to shoot and split!" one said as he armed his gun.

"The police are going to make the trade, we only pray that it works and they leave, the city is on it's edge tonight" Myca said as she turned to the tower.

A group of policemen walked up the winding staircase before slowly creeping out of the doorway to the terrorists who glared and smirked.

"Alright scum, put the bags of money down I front of us" one of them ordered, the police responded silently and threw two large sacks filled with cash on the gritty floor beneath them.

"You got your money, now hand us the bomb!" the lead officer said.

All the terrorists started to howl with laughter, then one kicked the lead officer in the face, he rolled to the fall with a broken nose.

"Figures, they always give in! Now lets fill their bodies full of lead!" One terrorist stepped forward. But the leader stopped him.

"How about we show them what our hydrogen bomb can do!" he sniggered, the others laughed and the leader headed over to the six foot machine, he typed in a few codes and the device opened its metallic shell to reveal a glowing blue core which in the next 10 minutes would destroy the city.

"Looks like the city is going to go down in flames!" he roared with evil hyena pitched laughter, the others joined in an orchestra of insanity.

"Not if I can help it!" a young voice yelled, everyone looked up, the reporters zoomed in there cameras and Rika and Ryo looked on the screen closely.

Like a bolt of lightning, a shadow dashed forward and within the next nano- second a flash of a sword and the sound of metal against metal.

When everyone blinked and looked at the surroundings, it was heart stopping; the device had been cut with a perfect diagonal swipe and now lay in ruins, deactivated and harmless.

"What the f&! What happened!" The leader demanded, the others looked around in confusion.

"That would be my handiwork" a mysterious voice spoke; everyone looked up to see a figure with the moonlight behind him.

He wore a crimson shirt with front collar undone and it went to his wrists with the sparkle from the diamonds appliquéd into it, his trousers were a paler red with a brown leather belt and had steel braced shoes of which a knight would wear, he wore brown gloves that were stretched against his fist, his chocolate brown hair blew in the cold wind with loose strands falling against his white skin, his mask extended to his temples and covered down to the top of his nose it was also coloured red, he had a small smile on his face as he starred at the black dressed group and entwined in his fingers was a beautiful scarlet rose.

"What the hell is that?" one terrorist said as he aimed his gun at the teenager, he only chuckled in response.

"Is he real? I mean, the guy looks like he came out of a circus!" another said, they all looked in confusion.

"Yeah he's real, what do you want?" the leader asked gruffly.

"Justice!" he spat out, he jumped forward and landed a fierce punch to the leaders jaw, the bone broke on contact.

Immediately all the terrorists loaded their guns and started firing madly at the figure who grinned and held the rose tight.

(Anyone reading this may want to turn on the song Little Friend by Nickelback, it sets up the hard core action for the following fight scene)

The masked teen jumped high in the air and gracefully corkscrewed midway to avoid all the bullets, he landed the other side of the first terrorist he saw and drop kicked on his skull, he fell to the floor in a scream of pain.

The others were getting out the heavy artillery: cluster grenades, gauntlets, shotguns, and straight swords, the masked mystery held up the rose as his only defence, the laughed at his pathetic so called weapon.

"A rose is frail, it is blinding in beauty but it also contains thorns, except these thorns are razor sharp in which blood can be spilt from" he riddled as he took in the lovely scent of the rose.

"I don't care if that flower was made from steel, your going to die!" one terrorist shouted, he pulled the trigger; only to hit air.

"You don't understand, this rose is made of steel" the masked figure spoke from behind him, he disappeared and reappeared in an instant.

"Impossible, who the heck are you! What are you!" he backed away with sweaty hands on his gun.

"I am calm like the sea, but I'm as destructive as a tsunami, I'm as gentle as the wind but I'm ferocious like a hurricane" he spoke out.

"Quit talking in riddles! Who are you!" the man spoke as he reloaded his shotgun.

"More importantly, I'm as heartfelt as a rose but I'm as dark as blood; I am both, blood on a rose, I am…Blood Rose!" he yelled, he threw the crimson flower in the air, in a flash of red light it became a sharp and dazzling rapier.

Blood Rose caught the sword and smiled, he dashed forward and swung the sword to the side, the tip slashed down the shoulder to the kneecap of the terrorist , he screamed as fresh blood flowed out and he fell to the floor in a crumpled state.

"Kill him!" all remaining 8 of them started shooting but Blood Rose was faster, he rolled over one of them and elbowed them in the lower part of their spine they yelled in pain but not before he got the sword around their throat and slit it, his blood ran like a waterfall and he fell to the ground dead.

One thug threw his arms around Blood Rose's shoulders and tried to hold him down, another one loaded his gun and fired three shots, Blood Rose only laughed, with a red aura shining around his body he teleported out of the way, leaving the other terrorist to get shot in the stomach.

"No!" the other one yelled as he stood in grief as he had killed his on partner, that was the only thought he had besides infectious pain when Blood Rose reappeared and stabbed his rapier through his backed in his chest.

"Get him away from that damn sword! One said, another nodded, one ripped the pin of a flash grenade and threw it, a yellow light blinded Blood Rose for a second, but it was enough for a terrorist wearing a pair of super sharp gauntlets to charge forward and slash a cut across his shoulder.

Blood Rose cried in pain, the others watched him suffer and they sniggered, but they soon gasped in horror as he chuckled evilly and the wound healed.

"My powers are that greater beyond you foolish weapons and hearts!" he said as he stood up, completely recovered like the wound never came to be.

"I'll rip him in two!" the gauntlet terrorist came along and started swiping like crazy, Blood Rose dodged each swing but not before reversing it with one of his punches to the chest.

"Now, experience the force of my telekinetic attacks!" he boomed s he thrust his hand forward, it glowed and the gauntlet terrorist stood in fear.

"Push!" he yelled, the terrorist was sent flying back onto the floor with crushed ribs, he coughed up blood before ceasing to live.

Two of the thugs ran forward and threw two flash grenades each, Blood Rose kicked threw back with one swing of his leg which caused the two of them to shield their eyes.

"Toss!" he commanded, he opened his palms and pushed his wrists together, each of the terrorists bodies glowed and them began to yell for help, Blood Rose showed no sympathy and flung his arms away behind him, they both followed and were sent tumbling into the wooden door leading to the staircase.

With only two remaining, they began to get scared for their worthless lives and dropped their guns and began to walk back to the edge of the building.

"Where are you going? The party just started!" Blood Rose thrust his arm forward and one of the terrorists glowed red.

"Oh god please don't!" He cried for mercy.

"Slam!" Blood Rose raised his hand and the thug ascended in the air above the city below, he began to whimper and beg for his life, but not before Blood Rose pulled his arm down and he fell like a rock and crashed into the ground, body broken.

The last terrorist was now petrified and dropped his gun in fright, Blood Rose began to advance on him.

"Sinners need no mercy, or sympathy!" he raced forward and slashed his throat, arms, and legs then he jammed his rapier through the chest and pulled forward, the torso broke away from the other limbs which fell to the ground.

"That ends that" he spoke, a groaning sound then got his attention, the leader who he had broken his jaw was up with a gun aimed at him.

"Your dead? Well I'll fix that!" Blood Rose telekinetically pushed the leader back and then kneed them in the chest, he fell to the ground wheezing.

He then turned to the police, he frowned, they had witnessed everything and were shivering in panic and fear.

"You had better get out of here" he threatened, he raised his sword and they all ran for it down the staircase, each had never seen someone kill as many people with ease.

Blood Rose then walked over to a bleeding corpse, he reached in their pocket and took out a cluster grenade, he then went to the leader who was on the ground, he kicked him so he faced him.

"I'll see you in Hell" he whispered as he held the grenade high and took out the pin, the leader mutely screamed, Blood Rose then in a flash of light teleported away from sight.

From a distance, in a split second the whole roof exploded and was engulfed in flames, people below screamed in shock and confusion.

In a shadowy alley way, facing around a corner, Blood Rose stared, his sword was now a rose again, his gloved hand reached for his face and he took off his mask revealing the cold brown eyes of Takato.

"Justice is served…" he said as he disappeared into the darkness.


	9. Reunion

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Reunion 

Parallel from the human world, beyond boundaries of the digital world; there exists a world ruled by sin and pain. This world has it's foundations built from death and darkness, where the lowest level of evil resides.

The water has become sand, it rains sharp metal, the sky bleeds a crimson sunset, warmth has been vanished by ice and all life has ceased to exist. Now only fear keeps what order pure evil has, and the true heart of this evil was sitting on a dusty throne on a black shrine.

The only clear monument of this world was what the twisted residents called the Shrine of Havik, named after the grand cleric of chaos who had brought beautiful darkness to their world.

At the shrine, a black cloaked figure was perched, a grin on his face, his eyes were what colour he wished them to be, on this glorious damned morning he had chosen a lavender purple, the colour of poison.

ExTakato had taken over the shrine a few days ago, he defeated it's guardian; the infamous Chaos Knight along with his little pet known as the Devil Dragon. Killing them had been pleasurable, after all he had the power of Takato, only evil.

Every day now, every passing moment he had been training, after claiming the shrine he was now the official emperor of the tainted world and claimed the power of the cleric, he had now obtained infinite power and was planning to use its interesting quality of passing through worlds.

"Soon Takato…soon everything will be ready for our final confrontation" he spoke quietly.

All of a sudden, five swirling shadows appeared before the shrine, a clan of robe drenched figures materialized, each in a separate colour, they immediately bowed before ExTakato, who smiled evilly.

"Welcome, my warriors of the elements, you have been summoned to the Shrine of Havik for a single purpose, the domination of a new realm!" he said as he stood up.

"My lord, we are deeply honoured to serve you, we shall follow and follow through with your exact orders" one said, dressed in a fiery red cloak.

"Excellent, you all know of my other, the chosen child who wielded the digital monsters" ExTakato spoke, they all nodded.

"He has gained a considerable amount of power, figuring out most of the lance wielding digimon's prophecy" ExTakato grunted.

"We had sensed a rise in power, your majesty, he now holds the power of the rose, a power of light but of also destructive power" the next figure said aloud, dressed in an ocean blue cloak.

"Yes, the power has grown within him, he is now worthy, truly powerful to be my other, I feel a sense of pride in knowing when him and I become one" his forked tongue spat.

"Your orders, master, they are to attack your other, if you wish to bond with him, may I ask why you wish to endanger his life?" the third figure said, in a slippery brown cloak.

"My dear warrior, the power of knowledge will overcome his power, besides you five, there is three more that will test his power, if he is defeated by any of you eight, I will continue my assault on Earth without him" ExTakato spoke.

"So will see if he is worthy enough to progress to you" the next figure said, his metallic grey cloak reflected in the orange sunrise.

"Yes. My other will be attending an education learning facility this morning in the other dimension, the first step is to bring his alter ego out into the open, I need one of you to attack him and the facility" ExTakato said.

Almost immediately, one of the figures rose, he was dressed in a lighter brown, a sand paper coloured cloak, his hidden face showed lust for battle.

"Master, I will attack him, he will be caught off guard and my powers can be strengthen to any width which will prove useful to destroy an entire area full of humans" he said eagerly, ExTakato smiled darkly.

"Very well Mokojin, go to Earth and bring chaos wherever you go, spread darkness and evil, so that my other gets a taste to what he is dealing with!"

"At once sire!" Mokojin said, he disappeared in a cloud of dust and cloud, vanishing from sight, leaving the others to wait and watch.

"Lets see how you face the wrath of one of the five demon elements Takato" the evil cloaked darkness said as his lavender eyes changed to a vengeful white.

TAKATO'S SCHOOL 

There she was, standing in a punk rock stance, her gaze drawn to her locker where she unknowingly took out books with such grace that it made every nerve in Takato shake uncontrollably.

Today was the end of the half term, kids and teens were back in school for another following two months before they had another holiday, but for the head over heels in love teenager being with Rika for at least a few minutes would suffice.

"Man, I can't keep her out of my head and my heart, she's taunted me all week long with her ocean blue eyes" Takato thought with a dreamy smile.

"But I can't see her, reason being she probably still hates me from when I forcefully kissed her! I hope she's forgotten otherwise I might as well start carving my own gravestone!"

Takato breathed in heavily, he then took a few steps forward, and another few as he began a slow walk towards her, he felt a little bit embarrassed, he could fight off a hordes of evil digimon but couldn't seem to talk to her properly, Rika just had that aura that immobilised him.

Soon he was just a hair's length away from that aura, he put his hand on his chest to try and slow his heart, but before he could even bring himself to speak…

"Hey Rika" the voice that made Takato yell out in misery arose, it wasn't ExTakato, someone way back.

Ryo came forward and kissed her on the neck, Rika blushed knowing others were looking but she didn't mind and smiled.

"Does he always have to come in on the last moment!" Takato thought aggressively, he sighed and was about to turn around when he was greeted by a friendly face.

"Takato! How are you doing" the boy said, he was the same height as Takato with darker eyes, he had a black shirt with an orange jacket over it with matching black jeans, he had darker skin than Takato with jet black hair.

"Henry! Wow it's been a while, but I thought you were going over England to see a relative?" Takato said.

"Yeah, my cousin was working on the new digimon project like my Dad, he said he had something like an amazing breakthrough had occurred, and guess who I found floating in the digital space void…" Henry said slyly, suddenly out of his rucksack came a spiky head, Takato nearly fainted.

"Hey Takato!" the creature said, it had a circular head with creamy white skin, a small spike on the top of the head with large ears that had green stripes down the side.

"T-Terriermon! But after we beat the Chaos-" Takato stammered.

"All digimon were sent back to the digital world, I know the story. But we discovered Terriermon, reverted back to it's in-training form, so we scooped him out and re-digitised him into the real world" Henry said happily.

Takato smiled, it made him think back to his time with his digimon, Guilmon, well technically he was till seeing him, only the ghost of his mega level, Gallantmon.

"Henry! Takato!" another voice said from down the corridor, two boys were rushing down, one with spiky brown hair, brown eyes, wearing a black top which read 'Digimon Fanatic' while wearing a green cap and brown shorts. The other was shorter with combed back black hair, blue eyes, a pale jacket and dark blue jeans.

"Kazu? Kenta? I thought you guys said you were going camping through out the first week" Henry said confused.

"Nah! A rainstorm hit the destination so we headed back, besides hanging around with you lot something super natural is bound to happen!" Kazu said cheerfully.

"Well if it isn't the dim-wit band" a calm voice said, all turned to Rika and Ryo walking down together, hand in hand, Takato felt like he was going to be sick.

"Hey if it isn't the happy couple" Kenta said just as happily, it was a group together from the old days.

Meanwhile, outside the happy reunion, a not so friendly guest wearing a brown cloak walked onto the outside field, he smiled evilly, he flung his arm out wide and concentrated on summoning his elemental power.

Inside the school Takato felt a stinging sensation in his heart, and it wasn't because of Ryo holding his arms around Rika's waist, it was something more sinister.

"Hey! Look!" a voice came from a classroom, everyone suddenly began heading towards the near window and looked down at the muddy ground, there were several gasps. Eventually teachers came out and had the same reaction, Takato knew something wasn't right and went over.

Outside was the brown robed figure, his gloved hands glowing a dusty colour, it was impossible to describe his facial appearance because of the hood he wore.

"What is this? Has Halloween come early?" Kazu asked as he pressed his face against the glass.

"Now, time to feel the power of wood!" the figure said in a dark voice, he threw his arms up, almost immediately the whole foundation of the school shook, nearly everyone went down flat on their backs.

But things got worse, out of the ruptured earth, a whole wall of sharp woof began to rise, everyone gave a shocked look, except for Takato who just starred on in seriousness.

The wood began to reach the floor they were on, like a massive fence in rose higher and higher until it blocked off the sunlight, surrounding the school in darkness and screams.

"See no evil, feel no evil!" the figured smiled menacingly, he closed his fasts, the wood began to contract, breaking the glass and squashing the school, breaking the stone walls outside.

"Henry! We have to stop that wood punk!" Terriermon yelled, Henry agreed, he then took out a weird looking device.

"I'm a little rust at this so lets hope lady luck is with us!" Henry said, he then drew a card with weird creature pictures on the front.

"Digimodify! Azulongmon's Lightning activate!" He yelled as he swiped the card through the side of the machine.

Out of the sky thousands of lightning bolts struck the school, breaking away most of the wood, this gave Terriermon a chance to get out in the open.

"Okay you forest dwelling sissy! Lets see if you can't fight digimon to digimon! The little rabbit yelled.

"I waste my breathe on you, you are not the one I seek!" the figure said, he trusted his arm forward and tree roots from his fingers surged forward, striking Terriermon down.

"Looks like we have to power up some more! Digimodify! Leomon's Beast-Sword activate!" Henry swiped another card.

Terriermon then suddenly held a large metal sword, he then ran forward and began swiping with it, the figure just sniggered and right hooked him in the chest.

"This is getting insane! We have to get out of here!" Ryo said, everyone agreed, Henry reluctantly obeyed but Kazu stopped halfway and looked around.

"Hey! Has anyone seen Takato!" he yelled, everyone looked around frantically but there was no one in sight.

The creature then moved over to Terriermon and lifted him up, his hand shaped into a fist, ready to kill him and send him off to the void once again.

"Time to die little rabbit" he whispered, just then a slick slide of a blade slashed across his shoulder, it was a tiny scratch because it was only a warning.

The creature, Terriermon, Henry, Kazu, Kenta, Ryo, Rika and the whole school looked up, standing casually on the edge of the school building was a figure dressed in red, with a scarlet mask and a beautiful red rose entwined in his fingers.

"At last! The masked warrior reveals it self!" the creature said, dropping Terriermon, the red figure turned towards the caped evil, his eyes showing a raging fire.

"You endanger innocent lives of people and digimon, and for that I cannot let you leave this place alive, prepare to feel the sword of Blood Rose!"


	10. Wood

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Wood 

"Hey! Has anyone seen Takato?!" Kazu yelled above the raging crowd. The Digimon Tamers looked around frantically for their goggle headed leader but his was no where to be found.

Takato barged past the crowd, he reached his locker and pulled out his rucksack which would normally contain his books, but as he opened it revealed a red mask and a rose.

"Time to go to work" he thought darkly and as he ran into the shadows and placed the mask over his eyes.

The creature then moved over to Terriermon and lifted him up, his hand shaped into a fist, ready to kill him and send him off to the void once again.

"Time to die little rabbit" he whispered, just then a slick slide of a blade slashed across his shoulder, it was a tiny scratch because it was only a warning.

The creature, Terriermon, Henry, Kazu, Kenta, Ryo, Rika and the whole school looked up, standing casually on the edge of the school building was a figure dressed in red, with a scarlet mask and a beautiful red rose entwined in his fingers.

"At last! The masked warrior reveals it self!" the creature said, dropping Terriermon, the red figure turned towards the caped evil, his eyes showing a raging fire.

"You endanger innocent lives of people and digimon, and for that I cannot let you leave this place alive, prepare to feel the sword of Blood Rose!"

The whole school went a deathly quiet, the eyes of every student and teacher looked upon the figure dressed in red.

"Who in the world is that?!" Kenta said in shock and confusion, Henry looked seriously at him, he felt a powerful fire coming from within whoever he was.

"You finally show yourself! Now the real fight can begin red warrior!" the creature yelled.

"You seem to know who I am, but I have no memory of you…" Blood Rose said. The cloaked creature did thought give off a dark aura that was familiar to him.

"I am one of the demonic brothers who serve under the new cleric of chaos, an I have come to shroud this world in bark!" he sniggered.

"Well I'm not going to let that happen!" Blood Rose said as he got in a fighting pose, a hard look upon his mask.

"Try and stop me! Tree Chains!" Out from his cloak came sharp chains each like a hissing cobra. They soared up towards Blood Rose who jumped out of the way in the nick of time. He landed on the baseball field where the creature stood.

"You'll have to be faster than that!" he taunted while spinning the rose between his fingers.

"You have only witnessed the smallest fraction of my power! Wood Tower!" he yelled, from beneath their feet the ground began to shake.

Sharp wooden spires rose, bursting from the ground at an alarming rate. The creature began to summon more, surrounding him and Blood Rose.

"Your on my turf now!" he yelled, he jumped onto one of the points, they were now at the school buildings so everyone could see them.

"You save you serve the cleric of chaos, who is he then? And what are thee demonic brothers?" Blood Rose demanded as he jumped up and joined him on the spiky pillars.

"The demonic brothers are the most evil and powerful evil that has lived through time, the cleric of chaos is our sovereign…" he spoke quietly.

"Then how do you know of me?" Blood Rose asked.

"Surely now, warrior of the rose. You would know your own demon half" he sniggered. Blood Rose felt his anger rise.

Out of this anger he jumped forward with a fierce kick. The creature had anticipated this and gave an elbow to his stomach, then getting him in a deadly neck hold.

"You see how the cleric has gifted us, taking us from the white darkness and into the black light" it said as it squeezed harder. Choking down the red hero.

"Should of known ExTakato would have you doing his dirty work!" Blood Rose yelled, he then threw his rose into the air.

While the creature was distracted, Blood Rose broke out of the hold and gave a hard gut punch to it. It wheezed and fell back, barely able to keep his balance.

"Not finished yet!" Blood Rose stretched his hand out, the rose shone in a red light blinding everything.

The creature then felt a sharp sheet of metal slash his shoulder. He gripped it and grimaced at the wound.

"A rose can be deadlier than a pit of spikes for it is not the thorns that hurt us. It is the petals, the beauty, the colour and the deception…" Blood Rose turned his neck to see the wounded cloaked figure, raising his rapier against him.

"Never saw that coming!" Terriermon said in disbelief as he staggered up, looking to the sky as the two combatants faced each other.

"Impressive, you rose is an illusion to hide the sword that lies beneath, you may be more to the dark side than you think!" it said as it stared at him.

"I hunt evil, I do not deliver it!" Blood Rose spat. The cloaked evil grinned letting his hand free of his wound. A yellow substance trickled down his shoulder.

"Wait a minute, is that what I think it is?" Blood Rose asked in surprise as the liquid dripped onto the tree spire. It burnt through it like an acid.

"Yes. Your blood may be powered but still human, but mine is tree sap. With a hint of acid taken from the rain!" he said.

"Show what you truly are and I'll be glad to spill more" Blood Rose taunted. The creature snarled but obeyed. He ripped off his brown cloak, the students inched back at the sight.

His body looked like I had met the end of a wood cutter's axe. The body was a tree stump with muscular bark. The arms and shoulders were held together with chains and the fists had tight black gloves. The legs were the same except tree rots hinged off the feet and his head was a normal stump with a beak like branch and glowing black eyes.

"I am Mokojin! Demonic brother of wood! Now fear me hero, as the forest is fighting back!" he yelled.

"He looks powerful, I'll have to go on the offensive first!" Blood Rose said to himself as he prepared to fight.

"Telekinetic Push!" he yelled his attack. An invisible wave approached Mokojin, who stood their like a log.

"The mind is of no use when it is tainted by emotions! Wood Tower!" Mokojin yelled. More tree spikes came from the ground, only as an attack this time.

Like a tidal wave they came in at a rapid rate. Blood Rose jumped back to avoid it, but the spikes stopped his concentration and the attack. Mokojin didn't even get hit.

"You got lucky, now try a few sword movements!" Blood Rose leapt across the wooden battleground, preparing to strike.

"Your weapon is of no use if you not wielding it! Tree Chains!" the chains on his arms came alive and leapt out, one entangled around Blood Rose's neck which forced him to drop his weapon and the other wrapped around his waist.

"Next stop, pain!" Mokojin threw Blood Rose, lifting him off his feet. He soared and crashed right through the school's glass windows and into the hallway.

"Ouch!" Blood Rose rubbed his neck, he felt some glass lodged in shoulder. He then noticed the gapping stares of the school folk.

"Sorry, wrong class" he chuckled before leaping out of the broken window back on to the spikes.

"Impossible! That last move should of knocked you out!" Mokojin said in disbelief, Blood Rose darkly smiled before reaching up for the glass in his shoulder.

He slowly yanked it out while wincing, he then smiled as the wounded faded into nothing, he was suddenly very thankful that he had fast healing powers.

"That's a nice trick…" Kazu said aloud. Rika looked on at the figure, was he the one who had stopped those terrorists?

"Now, lets begin this dance again!" Blood Rose threw the glass at the wood fiend, he broke it with his chains but he then saw Blood Rose running forward and striking him with a serpent sweep kick.

Mokojin fell of the floor, off the wooden spike now effected by his downfall and sank back into the earth.

"Damn! I'll make you pay for this!" Mokojin looked on hatefully at Blood Rose who just smirked at the creature's humiliation.

"I'll got him on the ropes, I just need the right move to finish him, and I know just the one" he thought in his head.

"If you done crying over your pathetic fighting, can we continue?" Blood Rose said adding another insult to injury.

Angered by this, Mokojin charged forward with his chains swirling around in the air like a wild animal.

"I'll bury you in this next attack!" he yelled as he jumped and threw both chains forward, Blood Rose sniggered and held his recovered sword.

"Abra-kadabra…" he teleported in a flash of crimson, Mokojin looked around frantically but Blood Rose had disappeared from sight.

"Show yourself coward!" Mokojin demanded, he was really steamed now. Suddenly he felt pain enter his left arm as the rapier dug deeper.

"I'm no coward, but I still don't have to reveal my presence to the unworthy!" Blood Rose whispered in his ear.

Mokojin rapidly punched but Blood Rose blocked every blow, then cross chopped his chest. Then followed by a sky uppercut and a slamming heel too the face.

"You realise you've lost, give up and I won't chop you into tiny pieces of sawdust!" Blood Rose threatened. Mokojin was on the floor, bleeding tree sap and gasping for oxygen.

"No! As the brother of wood, my duty is your death!" he came forward with a swigging punch, planning on nailing him in one move.

"Now is the time!" Blood Rose thought to himself. He shut his eyes and aimed the tip of the blade at the ground. He felt nothing but his sword, the flow of energy and the icy steel edge.

He slowly moved the rapier around, bringing both hands with it in a circle motion. Scarlet energy trailed behind it until he had reached a full 360 degrees circle.

"You are doomed hero!" Mokojin yelled as he raced forward, a breath away from contact and death.

"Look out!" Rika suddenly yelled out which surprised everyone. Blood Rose smiled, it had given him the thing he had needed.

"Onimusha Slash!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, he swiped the sword down, a massive shockwave erupted as the edge of the blade met Mokojin.

After everyone had taken cover, Rika quickly got up to see Blood Rose, he smirked as Mokojin lay on the ground, a large cut through him.

"Nice try ExTakato, but I have more power than you can imagine" he whispered. Soon Mokojin's body broke down into ash and fled into the breeze.

Blood Rose turned towards a starring Rika, he smiled and gave her a wink. She blushed incredibly.

With a snap of his fingers, he fled from sight in a trail or red air, feeling an accomplishment for defeating evil, but saddened knowing there was darkness to come other than wood…


	11. Rain

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Rain

The chaos realm was silenced. Not even the darkest creatures stirred as they were afraid they might invoke the wrath of the emperor. Himself sat on his dark throne with his scaly finger rubbing his temple. The demonic brothers below him.

"Unexpected…" he spoke out. Everything felt a chill go down their spines from the very air that their master breathed. He sat up and went into deep thought on his other.

One of the demonic brothers; the shadowy grey one coughed before slowly rising, avoiding eye contact with the silent but angered devil that they worshipped.

"Master…Mokojin seems to have failed…I wish to take his place in fighting your other" he said, praying that he had not signed his own death wish.

"Other? The bleeding human that has fractions of my greatness!!" he boomed as he stood up. The caped figure fell to the ground on his knees.

"1000 apologies my lord!" he pleaded, begging for a sign of mercy and compassion but thinking again he knew he was in for it.

"Do not beg! You only remind me of the failure I was created from! I should have killed him when I had the chance!" ExTakato spoke for himself.

"My plans for luring him to the darkness have gone up in smoke! But…he still perishes in his own emotions" he said with a toothy grin.

"I had wavered on the fact that his misery over that girl would have driven him towards me. But with this rose and his new hero alias I must now rely on pure force!" he said as he stood and came down the steps onto the barren wasteland.

"Considering you are so eager, you may try and destroy Takato until he is nothing but bone" ExTakato said. The blue caped figure nodded.

"Thank you master! I will come back victorious!" he said before disappearing into a purple vortex.

"Takato must be destroyed!" he murmured with a clenched fist. And with that the second of the demonic brothers proceeded to his nemesis.

"Did you see that guy!!" Kazu bellowed at the lunch table. The school had immediately called the police on the matter that had just occurred. Students were told to wait in the canteen before all parents were called to pick them up. Takato could leave at any time but preferred to stay with his friends.

"He just swooped in an bashed that wood monster into next Tuesday! Seriously next to the digimon I've never seen anything like it!" he continued.

"Whoever he was saved Terriermon and for that I owe him a great deal of gratitude" Henry said. Takato smiled.

"Yeah! He saved my digital behind from getting deleted for a second time!" the white and green data rabbit bounced around Henry's shoulder.

"But who was he?" Ryo said, a little more firmer.

"Blood Rose" Rika suddenly; spoke up. She covered her mouth from her outburst and went red.

"What?" Kazu asked. Rika shook off the embarrassment and put on her femme fatal shield back on again.

"His name…he mentioned it was Blood Rose" she said. Takato was pleased that she was the only one who remembered him.

"He dressed like a red pixie" Ryo said, he wasn't really enjoying all the attention Blood Rose was getting. Takato sent him a scowl but quickly retracted it.

"No way dude! Did you see how he came in and he punched, kicked and did those crazy sword moves and did you see how he vanished at the end!!" Kenta said like a hyperactive kid.

"What do you think Takato?" Kazu asked.

"Me? Um…well…I think he's a hero, he saved Terriermon and got rid of that wood freak." He said.

"I agree, I wonder if he will show up again?" Henry asked. Everyone shrugged, Rika then left the canteen and headed out.

Takato watched her go out, she obviously decided to leave the group and head for home. Ryo followed like an obedient dog.

Takato had also seen enough. He said his goodbyes and walked out of the school. He reviewed the whole hero thing through his mind. Was he doing the right thing? Had he been responsible for all the danger after all the darkness came from him.

"I need a hot meal and a goodnight's sleep, that will straighten things out" he said. Before he took another step he sniffed the air.

He had began having these feelings before, like he could feel himself or part of himself somewhere, like a hound he was drawn to it in it's seductive ways.

"Shit. Seems like I need to exterminate more darkness!" He said. Without another word he sprinted out of the street and into 6the shadows where he was consumed by red.

Rika walked home in her grey coat. The cold wind was crippling her hair and the icy fog shrouded her in shivers. Ryo was catching up to her but she didn't care. She felt something wrong with her.

The devilishly handsome masked hero winked at her from the corner of her mind. She stopped and blushed again. Why was he on her mind?

Before long she had reached the final street leading up to her and she smiled. She just wanted a long hot bath and a nice meal. That would make her feel better.

Suddenly clouds began to form in the sky. She looked up and saw they were darker than usual, actually they were a dark sapphire with linings of purple.

"Weird weather…" she said. She began to hasten her pace in case it rained. All of a sudden the clouds began to contract, then water droplets began to fall.

Rika planned to make it home before it rained but the rain fell and it fell hard. Rika pulled the coat tight around her but when the rain hit her she fell to her knees. The rain was heavy. Dragging her to the ground. Windows around her began to crack under the pressure.

"Rika!" Ryo called out but he to fell to the ground at the force of the water. He began to lose consciousness as the rain battered his skin.

Rika felt he vision blur as the water pummelled her back. She fell to the concrete and tried to yell out but the rain overcame her voice.

"Telekinetic Toss!" a voice came. Rika blearily opened her eyes to see a figure in crimson run forward. The water was forced back into the cloud and followed by a powerful red wave.

The clouds seem to yell in aggravation. But the dark storm still floated high, Blood Rose felt the evil originate from it.

"Show yourself, if you dare" he whispered. The clouds gave a loud shriek as they burst open letting the rain loose. But this time as it fell the majority came into shape.

"I am the demonic brother of rain, Face me now!" the water became an inhuman creature that glared menacingly.

Its face consisted of a metal plate mask with chiselled on symbols. The hair was a spiky blue with yellow skin following its neck. It had steel shoulder pads a breastplate with spiked knee straps. The yellow skin followed from the waist passed the knees to the hooked iron boots. In it's hands were a medium sized shortened joust.

"Aquarias I am! And destruction from water I give!" it's salty voice ripped through the rain.

Blood Rose wasn't intimidated. Sure he was a little tired from fighting Mokojin but he had enough power to take out the piece of shark bait.

"Swift and powerful. Take him quick and show no mercy!" Blood Rose thought aloud. He raced forward with his rapier in hand and swiped. But the creature wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"The second brother huh? Did ExTakato require entertainment so that's why he sent you" Blood Rose yelled through the heavy rain.

"Foolish child. I am everywhere the rain is!" Aquarias appeared in front of him with his joust in one hand.

"Tsunami Joust!" He proclaimed. The joust lit up a blue a colour. Blood Rose tried to teleport but it was to late as a turquoise beam shot him back. Scarring his chest and making him shout out in pain.

"Can you feel the enclosure of death Blood Rose" Aquarias appeared again. Kicking him back and striking the lower end of the joust at his neck. Blood Rose was on the ground and that's where it hurt most because the rain flattered him and drained him of energy.

"Got to get up!" Blood Rose told himself. He pushed himself up with much pain and tried to regain hi stance. But Aquarias was way ahead of him.

"Interesting. You power reaches beyond expectations. I can see that my brother had a little trouble with you. But I am in a league of my own!!" he kicked Blood Roe back so he was on the ground and aimed his joust.

"Storm Shower!" he yelled. His joust glowed and with one swift movement began to thrust his weapon forward but at a lightning fast rate.

Blood Rose's scream could be heard through out the entire city. It took about twenty seconds for the tremendous pain to finally cease but he was left with bleeding stabs through his body.

"Ha! Victory has become mine! My master will reward me with praise and power for this" Aquarias said in glee. As he trudged through the rain that would soon crush the city with immense pressure.

As he continued over he noticed a young teenager struggling for her life. Rika was on her knees with the water taking her life away. Her hair was now to her shoulder blades and she was in her soaking wet shirt and jeans as her coat had been ripped off by the rain.

Aquarias had always found humans fascinating, they had such a range of personalities and emotion and they had beautiful appearances which were tempting to anyone. The water demon grinned devilishly.

Rika was bruised from head to toe and was whimpering. She finally managed to stand up. All she needed was to reach her house and she would be safe.

Suddenly pair of moist hands roughly grabbed her. She turned to see the steel masked villain that had his hands grabbing her shoulders.

"Such a strangely beautiful child. You tempt my inner darkness…" the seductive voice made Rika cringe and began to struggle but Aquarias firmly held her.

He made her collapse so she was on her elbows, he then sliced her shirt off with his sharp nail. Her red bikini radiated in front of him he began to feel more evil and pursue to rip off her jeans.

"Stop it!" Rika pleaded as Aquarias began to trace his slimy fingers over her stomach, then lashed out a yellow forked tongue on her neck.

"You are pure. You are one that drives my black heart wild!" he said as he began to lean over her and caress her thighs.

"Stop it" Rika pleaded as tears of fear escaped her. Aquarias ignored her and continued to violate her.

"You will my pearl for my dark oyster!" he smiled fiendishly and began to strongly bite her chest.

"Stop!!" Rika wailed in pain and sheer panic. Her tears hit the concrete which were heard by a rose.

"Leave…her…alone…" a dark voice was heard. Aquarias got up to see Blood Rose. The wounds burning off of him thanks to his intensified healing power which was controlled by his rage.

"You still breath? No matter you will still suffer!" he said as he got up with his joust in one hand.

"You feel the wrath that makes Hell tremble!!" Blood Rose sprinted forward. His rose turned into a rapier and he slashed vertically. Aquarias didn't have time to react as the sword cut his scaly flesh.

"Telekinetic Slam!" he yelled. The water demon was sent high into the rainy air then struck down to the concrete.

"Telekinetic Slam!" he said again. Aquarias rose and fell repeatedly until grey blood broke from the bruised skin.

"Its…not over…yet!" he said as he raised his joust. He charged forward with vengeance but Blood Rose had more.

"Yes it is! Telekinetic Fury!" he yelled. Blood Rose broke into another power. He punch forward and from a distance a red almost holographic version punched Aquarias. It was then followed by a low kick, then a high one, a double punch, a triple round house, cross chop, upwards slam and lastly a fierce uppercut.

Aquarias screamed as he felt the final hit drained the last of his life force. He fell to the ground and shattered into crystalline droplets that blew away in the wind.

As the fallen demon died the clouds over head separated into the fair original white ones. Blood Rose sheathed his sword and sighed as another of his evil version's warriors was gone.

A slight cry caught his attention. He turned to see Rika with a petrified look on her face, Blood Rose felt his heart break to see her like that. He slowly walked over and kneeled where she cringed up.

"Don't fear me, I won't harm you" h placed his hand near her where a red aura was given off, her pale skin healed and so did her clothes.

"What the? How did you…" Rika wondered. Blood Rose wanted nothing more to take off his mask share his feelings and kiss her passionately but alas he couldn't. Not yet at least.

He simply smiled and teleported away. Leaving a near broken street with an astounded girl who had realised that she had been rescued by a knight in shining red armour.


	12. Card

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Card

Takato walked home with a massive grin on his face. He had saved Rika twice in one day and he had gotten close to her. He felt a sense of relief and gratefulness hit him.

"I can't get to rapped up in my thoughts, I still don't know how many demonic brothers are left and ExTakato send an attack at any time" he said to himself.

Despite the thought he still had a free evening, the stars were shining and he felt his young boundless energy take over him. So he began to walk the streets with no fear whatsoever.

Meanwhile, leaping off the rooftops, a creature hidden under a silver cloak watched for the target. He had taken up the opportunity to take out Blood Rose quickly before his master vaporized everything in his anger.

"You can't hide forever red warrior. Sooner or later you will have to face the power of metal!" he darkly snarled as he continued with his search.

Takato wandered for a while, seeing nothing of interest. All the stores had closed and the cinema was booked. He shrugged his shoulders and continued.

All of a sudden a sound of music hit his ears, he hastened his pace and turned a corner and was astounded.

Lights broke through the night sky and the laughter of children of all ages soared. Banners and little shops were stood up with food and accessories.

"Wow! The Odiaba Night Carnival is already here!" Takato said in surprise but joy. The carnival was a one time spectacular as in paraded all night long. This was a great way to fill his evening.

He walked in the midst of the happiness. Magicians and circus people ran through the streets bringing forth the cheers of the crowd.

Takato looked at all the strands, they sold food, streamers, balloons, novelty items, even digimon cards in which he hadn't played in a while.

"Excuse me, I'll buy three packs of Digimon: Modify Advance Edition, four packs of Digimon: Ultimate Triumph Edition and two packs of Digimon: Roar of Legend Edition please" Takato asked the seller. He nodded and passed over the packs while Takato flicked over the money.

He went buy and bought a large cheeseburger and found a bench to sit down on. As he chomped away he opened his packs.

"Lets see, I've got Metalmamemon, Iceleomon, Gizamon…Hey awesome! Ive got a Metalgreymon!" he looked through his deck. He then noticed a gang of teens playing the digimon card game.

He walked over to se a boy in a yellow jacket playing an older boy with a blue shirt. Each was playing a very decent game.

"Ha! I'll bring forth Blackzudomon and attack you with Dark Vulcan Smash!" the younger boy groaned as his monster was taken but smiled as he played back.

"I digivolve my Andromon into Ultraandromon and power him up with Lava Modify! Now he has become Ultraandromon-Flame Mode!" The boy said triumphantly.

Takato smiled, remembering how he used to play. The other boys noticed him and his deck and they called him over. Takato looked up.

"Hey! Fancy a game!" one boy said. Takato was hesitant but agreed he was a little rusty but he had been wanting to play this game for a while.

Above the city streets. The figure looked over to his victim, how he would be praised and rewarded for his success. He slid away as he rolled his plan into action.

"You are going down! I'll activate the card Lizardmon's Snipe Fang! This powers up my Minotaurmon and lets me take out you Angemon!" Takato's opponent bragged. Takato just smirked.

"I'll summon Metalmamemon, but I also activate my Metal Calling card. I can now summon one more metal type digimon. And I'm going to bring out Metalgreymon!" he said.

"No matter! You have to wait one more turn before attacking! So now I'll play Apemon on the field! But check this out I play the card Imperialdramon's Wish! Now I can boost my secondary attack up to maximum power! Now I'll destroy your Metalgreymon with Apemon's Metallic Fur attack!"

Takato was impressed, the guy actually knew how to play his cards right. But he had been in these situations in real life and always knew there was a way out.

"I'll use the card Clown Trick! This lets me summon a weak digimon from my card deck so I summon Bakamon. But that's not all, I get to take the attack power from Apemon and swap it with Bakamon and just to finish this off I'll activate Hyper-Switch. Now my Metalmamemon gets more powerful for every digimon that has been powered up!

"Oh no! That means your digimon are more powerful than mine!" the boy said in shock. Takato gave a victorious look.

"Your history! Bakamon uses his powered up Metallic Dark Claw and Metalmamemon uses his Metal Smirk Bomb!" the opponents monsters went down.

"I'm not out of the game yet! I'll play Warumonsimon! Now I can get rid of your annoying ghost! Heart Break Attack!"

"You forget that Hyper-Switch is still in effect! When one of the powered up digimon like you Apemon goes down, Hyper-Switch automatically takes itself out to avoid damage from the other players attack" Takato said.

"Now I'll think I'll end this game by playing Bakamon's Evil Whisper. By taking him and another digimon out of the game I can bring back a digimon that was destroyed. So I think I'll bring back Metalgreymon!" Takato said triumphantly.

"Now with his Giga Blaster I'll destroy you Warumonsimon! And I believe I win!" Takato smiled. The opponent groaned and gathered up his deck. The other players came over and gave him plenty of comments on his card playing.

"Well played…" a dark voice said. Takato's rose sense kicked in hard. He swirled around expecting to see ExTakato but instead he saw a teenager of his age with metallic hair and crystal eyes wearing a grey trench coat.

"Thanks…" Takato said shallowly, he didn't trust this guy, he could taste the evil aura around him but couldn't prove anything.

"Say, considering that was your first game, I don't suppose you would mind having a game against me?" he said as he held up his own deck. Takato was about to decline but he felt the crowd gather around him and he felt that this teenager was a danger.

"Fine then. I 't see the harm in a friendly game" Takato said with an icy tonne. The boy smiled and they both took their places.

"I'll start. First I will summon Merimon but then activate a card I like to call Summoning of Metalphoenixmon! Now I can digivolve Merimon into Metalmerimon and bring forth Metalphoenixmon. And from now on only digimon with metal in their name are allowed to be called forward!" the teen said as he grinned a toothy smile.

"No way! It's the first turn and he's already got me on the ropes! But I can turn this duel around!" Takato thought.

"My turn! I'll summon my Metalmamemon and activate Twin-Blade! Now I can double the attack power of Metalmamemon and lower yours! Metal Smirk Bomb!" Takato took down one of his opponents digimon.

"Nice moves! Now I activate Aluminium Modify! Now my Tentomon becomes a metal digimon! Now by activating Warp Digivolution I have a Herculeskabutarimon-Metal Mode! Attack with Mega Metal Electro Shocker!"

"It's not over yet! I summon Metalgreymon and activate Super-Attack-Power! I take out your Herculeskabutarimon-Metal Mode!" Takato said.

"Your not half bad, it's a shame you don't put as much effort into all your skills" the figure said. Takato stared in shock. Was he referring to him as a hero? He couldn't have…

"I'll activate Wings Of Shame! Now I can turn your card to my side of the field and give you mine! But that's not all, I activate Devimon's Nightmare! Now your digimon's attacks gets turned to zero! Lastly I'll activate Metal Virus! All metal digimon on your side of the field receive the same attack strength as your monster card so I'm afraid all your monsters are turned to zero attack power" the boy gave a victorious look.

Takato couldn't believe it. He had been out classed in five turns and now it looked like he was going to lose. The intensions of the player were more sinister than he led on to be.

"Okay then, I guess my turn" Takato drew his card. He began to feel sadness come into him. Sure he was going to lose the duel but he began to feel like his life was similar to this duel. How for the first part everything was great then it slowly went down hill.

"Rika…" Takato whispered. He felt the anguish unravel but he also felt that sense of pride. He had stopped terrorists, he had defeated two demonic brothers and of course had felt the warmth of Rika's skin.

Takato smiled and got his game face on. He looked at his cards and gave a chuckle of triumph. He wasn't Takato anymore, he was Blood Rose. Confident, sly, dark and wasn't held back by the laws of a human.

"I activate Dark Republic! Now any digimon capable of being turned into a black digimon can be swapped to my side of the field. So I'll return you Metalphoenixmon and take back my Metalgreymon! And I activate Darkness Void! So now I have Blackmetalgreymon! And considering we swapped cards you attack power is zero! Now Fatal Giga Blaster!"

The opponent looked on in horror. He had lost to Takato when it was sure he would win. After all the guards were made for this duel alone.

"Nice game!" Takato said as he came over. He felt the aura grow stronger with every moment so he had to stay cautious.

"You sure like your metal digimon cards" he continued the figure looked up and began to laugh, soon he was laughing hysterically which sent shivers down Takato's spine.

"Of course I enjoy metal!" The sharpness! The fierceness! The unbreakable texture! Which is exactly why the cleric of chaos gave me power over it!" he boomed.

"Cleric of chaos! I knew it!" Takato gave a dark expression. The figure then began to shine a grey colour. Soon his body began to change as his limbs broke down and remodelled.

Disgusted, Takato slowly back up as the figure finally let out a scream of murder as it's transformation was finished.

It now was what looked like an android. Its arms and hands were hard metal with yellow pincers. The body had a v shape armour up to the neck, where beneath the chest two canisters of black liquid were stored like a pair of batteries. The legs were human shaped but the feet were like trucks. Lastly the head was shaped like a bridge from the side with two beaming ruby eyes and all around it's metal body were thin tubes carrying around black liquid.

"I am Combot! Demonic brother of steel and I'm about to go futuristic on this city!" it laughed. While doing so, red energy began to build up in his left hand.

"Metal Smirk Bomb!" he cried. A red energy bolt blasted out and destroyed half of the first building it touched. The carnival began to erupt with mayhem as people began screaming and running.

"I've got to stop him before this whole places go down!" Takato thought aloud as he gave a cold stare to the cyborg demon.

Playing against him in a card game was one thing but now the game had been taken to the next level in destruction…


	13. Steel

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Steel 

Combot's vicious attack had caused an uproar in the streets. It was now coming apparent to the people who lived here that at least once a year some kind of disaster was going to happen.

Takato shielded his eyes from the blinding light, he should have known sooner that it was one of ExTakato's thugs that would try for a third attempt on his life. But despite that he still needed up hold justice and deal with the metal demon.

He was about to run into the shadows to swap identities with his alter ego but a red energy blast stopped him as Combot made his presence known.

"Oh no you don't! Unlike my brethren I will not allow you to make a miraculous appearance as you hero side. I will smite you here and now!" he said.

"That's more of the cowardly way out don't you think!" Takato yelled back with spite. The robot just stood his ground and laughed an electronic laugh.

"Call it what you want but just remember that after this one of us will be left drowning in the cesspool of darkness!" he spoke fiercely.

"Dramatic words for a piece of junk!" Takato spat out in fury.

"Be quiet! Metal Smirk Bomb!" the red energy blast bounded after Takato. He didn't have time to blink before it made contact will him and made him let out a roar of pain.

Rika sat on her bed. She was huddled in a ball and felt timid after the events that had occurred. How she was nearly raped by a water demon, how he nearly died and how she was saved by a man in a mask.

"Who was he…" she asked herself as she felt that warm smile he had given her after saving her from the water demon.

Suddenly a gloved hand touched hers, she turned up to he mask of the man she had seen save her The crimson red colour concealing his handsome features. She felt a sense of weakness rush over her.

But it was then she blinked and it turned out to be just Ryo. Just Ryo, that phrase made her feel so treacherous.

"Rika, you've been lying on your bed the whole afternoon; are you feeling alright?" he asked, trailing his hand against her hair. His touch felt so rough.

She slowly moved it away and tried to fall deeper into his embrace but it began to feel like she was in the embrace of a stranger.

"Ryo…I…need to be alone…" she said as she grabbed her coat. Ryo was startled for a moment and then tried to intercept her but she was already out of the door.

"Ever since Blood Rose appeared you've been acting differently. What are you hiding from me…"he said darkly.

Rika walked down the street with her coat closed tightly around her. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts. But all her thoughts were on him. Those pictures flied past her. How he handled the two fiends with no fear and took them on with his sword which he held to perfection.

"I'm acting like stupid little girl with a crush" she roughly said to herself. She turned a corner expecting to see a dark street but instead she was greeted with blinding lights of destruction.

"What the heck is going on?!" Rika blurted out loud. Her answer was the tyrannical metal cry of a demonic brother blasting a young hero across the road.

Combot gleefully watched as Takato fell the concrete floor. He moved over and grabbed his neck with his hooked claws and lifted him by the neck.

"This is too easy, Mokojin and Aquarias were fools to think you were a hard opponent" he sniggered as Takato gasped for breath.

"Then why are they rotting in the darkest circle of Hell?" Takato said with some humour in his voice. Combot smashed him against the wall.

"Because they were both weak and deserving of death, but now I will have your head as a trophy" he said preparing another attack.

"Go jump off a cliff asshole!" Takato cursed. Combot snarled and launched his foot at him. Takato then rolled out of the way and struck his knee with his elbow, breaking it inwards.

Combot fell to the floor in agony. This was Takato's chance, he fled into the alley behind them and ripped off his shirt revealing the red clothes beneath it, he then pulled out a red mask an placed it over his eyes.

Combot yanked his circuitry back into position with much pain but soon it was operational, he got up and searched everywhere for Takato but he wasn't anywhere in sight.

Rika saw the android scout and slowly walked backwards but at the worst moment she tripped back and let out a cry of pain.

Combot turned to see the red head and smiled; it was the crimson warrior's heartfelt crush and it would please him to no end if he slaughtered her. Slowly like a stalking lion he trudged forward towards her.

Rika got up frantically and turned on her heels to sprint away but a cold claw grabbed her throat. Combot smiled and threw her into an alley wall, making Rika's spine crack slightly.

She fell to her knees, writhing in pain. It came to her mind that she always found herself into these situations, it seemed that fate wanted to toy with her by means of pain.

"Weak humans, so pathetic in their life. The deserve to be exterminated!" Combot aimed his arm upwards at Rika's panting and aching body; the palm began to glow a menacing scarlet.

"Why is every dilemma in my life have to do with the colour red!" Rika thought angrily, but she was to weak to even move.

"Any last words before I dispose of you?" Combot laughed spitefully. Rika backed herself as far as she could before her fractured spine met the wall, giving a wincer of torment.

"How about, duck" Rika said with a smile. Combot gave a confused look but it was made clearly when a steel boot crashed into his face, sending him flying back.

Blood Rose landed elegantly but deadly on his feet, his brown hair blowing in the night air. His gaze was squarely fixed on the enemy and didn't notice Rika's constant stare of her saviour.

"I believe your fight, tin can, is with me. Not this beautiful fiery angel" he said with a smirk. Those were the words he had begged to let out.

Needless to say, if anything had ever make Rika blush more in her life; it was now as her face lit up more than a Christmas tree. Combot got to his feet with disgust in his eyes.

"Very well, Romeo, lets match this. Sword to sword" Combot whispered as he reached into the side of his thigh, there he took out a cylinder shaped small object. He chuckled darkly before clicking a button on its side; out came a turquoise beam that modelled itself into the shape of a blade.

"A light sabre! This isn't Star Wars you know!" Blood Rose yelled out. Combot only huffed and charged forward.

Blood Rose had to parry as fast as he could to stop the blade from piercing his flesh. He could heal wounds but an internal strike through his heart would kill him, after all he wasn't immortal.

He then kicked Combot back and started to let loose a combo of his own attacks, slashing and spinning his rapier with precise accuracy. Unfortunately, Combot was just as good with a sword than he was.

"Need to take on a telekinetic attack to beat this guy" he thought. He backed of from the sword barrage and channelled his energy.

"Telekinetic Push!" an invisible red rage of energy hit Combot's inner canisters, this caused him to wheeze up an acidic black liquid. It grossed Rika out while Blood Rose just snarled.

"I've…studied…your…moves…you fool" Combot limped up. He then began to laugh as his left hand glowed a fiendish blue.

"Spirit Hook!" He sprinted forward, to fast for Blood Rose to teleport. The palm inserted itself into his chest. He screamed in a pain that was new to him; Combot had phased through him and was absorbing his energy.

Soon enough he let go and Blood Rose fell to the floor panting. Rika tried to move to assist but her injury grew steadily worse.

"Sorry metal head, I heal way to quick!" Blood Rose stood tall with his sword in hand. Oddly enough, Combot wasn't phased by his instant healing.

"That doesn't matter anymore, I've just absorbed a fraction of your spirit" He sniggered. Blood Rose stood stunned for a moment.

"My…spirit?" he said in confusion.

"My power is a mix of science and sorcery. I will demonstrate this now! Telekinetic Toss!" a familiar red colour came from his palms.

Blood Rose then felt a surge of uneasiness and panic as his body was lifted from the ground and thrown across the street into a stand. The owner ran of screaming.

"He copied my attack!" He thought aloud in horror. But the worst was yet to come as he was lifted from his position and slammed into the wall right next to Rika.

"Ouch!" he said. Rika had a look of bewildered fear on her face. Before he could even look at her he was sent flying into the air and repeatedly slammed onto the ground.

"That was my slam attack, copycat!" Blood Rose yelled cockily. Combot didn't share his amusement and threw him towards him psychically, with his blade outstretched.

"Time to die!" he said as Blood Rose approached. The crimson samurai saw the end approach.

"Can't die! Can't die! Not with Rika here!" He thought desperately. As he drew nearer, he focused all energy that remained in his body.

With one final jerk he slammed is palm forward, striking Combot as he was pulled near him. With Combot down, the telekinetic hold was broken and Blood Rose stood on his own two feet.

"Now the, let me show you what a real telekinetic attack can do!" Blood Rose said. He began to spin his sword in a circular motion.

Combot quickly got himself up, noticing his enemy's attack and knowing he was done for if he didn't act now.

"Like I told you, I have studied your moves!" He reclaimed his light sword and began to do a similar circular motion.

Rika at this point was caught in the middle, forced to watch two powerful opponents come at each other will full force.

At the exact same time; both of the fighters had powered themselves up enough to unleash their most devastating move.

"Onimusha Slash!" both of them yelled. They leapt forward and both swords came down on each other which released a shockwave so huge it shattered half a building.

Rika was blinded and hut her eyes, her agonising pain in her back began to fall upon her and before long she fainted.

After the shockwave finished, there stood the two opponents; swords dripping with blood and oil. Eventually there was to much a strain and Blood Rose fell to his knees in exhaustion.

"Looks like I win! You should have never defied the cleric of chaos!" ombot spun around in victory. Blood Rose then felt a cold smile spread on his face and soon it evolved into a laugh.

"What the hell is so funny!" Combot demanded.

"I was to fast for you to see" Blood Rose stood up as the wound on his shoulder healed.

"I sliced you like an onion!" he called out triumphantly. Combot stood in terror as his circuits began to go haywire. He screamed before his arm slid off which was followed by his head and his torso which then turned to ash in the wind.

Blood Rose looked at the faded corpse and then turned his attention back to Rika. To his horror was laying face down on the floor unconscious.

"Rika!" he called out as he came over to her. Using his rose sense he saw her crinkled spine. He pressed his palm gently on her back and let his luminous red glow heal her.

Soon enough her eyes fluttered open, it then occurred to her that she was in the arms of a masked vigilante. She sprung up but regretted it as her back was still sore.

"Relax, your wound has healed and the sore ness with go in a few hours" he said. Rika was lost for words, looking around and seeing no villain she figured he must have won.

"Thank…thank you for saving my life…again" Rika said with a timid smile, the likes he had never seen before even seeing her Ryo together.

"It was my pleasure" Blood Rose said as he scratched his neck. The awkward silence was killing him and he had to leave before his emotions got the better of him.

As he turned a soft arm caught his as Rika was there with sapphire eyes that seemed to be shining in the night sky.

"Do you have to leave?" Rika asked, a sense of desperation was in her voice.

"I must, your safe now and that's all that matters" he said with a high feeling of disappointment.

He tried to walk off but two arms had snaked around his. Blood Rose's breath began to increase in pace as Rika was there with a beautiful smile a a look in her eye that was making Blood Rose feel uneasily warm.

"I'm sorry, but I can't stay" he said, trying to sound as forceful as possible. Rika then fell into a saddened look that was breaking his heart, but he had to.

"Wait!" Rika grabbed his hand and pulled him around, that look was in her eye again and Blood Rose was beginning to succumb to its calling.

"Doesn't Blood Rose ever kiss the girl?" she said barely above a whisper. Blood Rose at this point would have died to gone to heaven. His heart was racing so fast he couldn't keep up with how many beats it was doing.

"What are you doing Takato! This is your dream come true! I've waited for this for so long…but I can't…not know…I can't…I" his thoughts were silenced when Rika's eyes pierced his heart.

"Oh screw it!" he thought loudly. His arms grabbed Rika's waist and pulled her tightly, meeting her lips with his.

Both of them felt like they were in paradise, each was feeling new things that they had never felt before. Rika, though had kissed Ryo, had never felt this kind of feeling before.

Blood Rose couldn't begin to describe how good he was feeling, his passion was being unlocked into this moment. He soon pulled Rika deeper and pretty soon both were strongly French kissing, their tongues dancing with one another.

After about two minutes of holding it, both broke apart and gasped air in. Rika was the colour of cherry wine while Takato was going redder than his alter ego.

"Thank you…again… for saving me" Rika said with a massive smile before disappearing into the fog that had surrounded the city.

"I could defiantly get into this superhero gig!" Takato said as he removed his mask, feeling better than ever in his whole life. With a great shout of happiness he teleported away, leaving scars of battle and love behind.


	14. Oil

Digimon 

Forbidden Love 

Oil 

Within the parallel world that stood side by side that of Earth; the dark sanctuary was ablaze with fury. All demons were scattered as the cleric was releasing bombardments of energy in hated.

"Curses!!" his eyes were changing from one dark colour to the next. He was infuriated. First of all he was cursed to live in a wasteland such as this. Second he had to watch his other become a mask-wearing hero. Thirdly three of his elemental generals had been obliterated.

"This has gone on long enough!! My plan must succeed! Takato must be destroyed!" ExTakato was letting loose a hail of evil that was ripping up the land.

Now remaining were two of the demonic brothers; the one dressed din a red cloak and the other in a dark brown.

"Master..." one whispered. ExTakato whirled around to face them; his eyes scorched with tyranny.

"We have word of your other-" before he could speak any further; the red cloaked figure was grabbed by the throat of the villain.

"I told you never to compare me to that weakling!!" his golden claws cutting into core. He gave a cry as the nails ran deeper.

"Apologies, oh great one!! It has been told that we may have a vessel!" he cried as he felt himself lose consciousness.

ExTakato paused for a moment, he then dropped the cloaked figure to his knees. He now had a smile on his face which revealed a set of dangerous white teeth.

"Interesting…who might this be?" he asked. The brown cloaked figure came forward whispered into his ear. ExTakato smiled even harder, he then leapt onto his throne.

"I have had a change of heart, if had one, you two will double team Blood Rose! Make sure that his precious Rika is in full view. Oh…and bring her boyfriend along" he cackled. The cloaked figures bowed before teleporting away.

"I must prepare…" he whispered evil.

DOWNTOWN 

Takato was skipping down the road way, it was currently under construction after the fight with the Chaos threat. He was in such a good mood he thought he could sing, but chose against it.

"I can't believe it! I finally kissed Rika! But this time she wanted me to! Well technically she wanted Blood Rose but that doesn't matter! She kissed me!" he did a full back flip down the road.

"Even though I've got school today it doesn't really matter because the good thing is nothing could possibly go-" all of sudden a shadow leapt from the building above, swooping down and nailing Takato in the face.

He was sent crashing into the side of the wall which leapt the construction workers to run in fright. Luckily, thanks to his ability to heal he was not killed but only left with a really big soreness in his backside.

"-Wrong…" he got up and looked ahead. Sure enough there was a demonic brother before him. This time he was dressed in a dark brown.

"Greetings Blood Rose! I finally get to meet my brothers' killer!" he got into a fighting pose.

"Who do I owe the displeasure of meeting this early in the morning?" Takato stood in a defensive position and watched intently at his opponent. He knew something was up, evil doers didn't pop out at daylight without a reason.

"I owe no name of appearance until you have earned it" the figure leapt forward with a high kick. Takato quickly teleported out of the way in the nick of time.

"You're faster than I expected! This should be fun!" he chuckled. Takato reappeared a moment later. He tore off his school clothes revealing the costume underneath and quickly slapped on his mask along with the rose.

"So that is how it shall be…" the rose became the dazzling rapier before his eyes and he aimed forward at the creatures head.

Meanwhile in another part of town, Rika and Ryo were walking to school together. Rika small frown on her face; she felt disgraceful.

"I can't believe I kissed Blood Rose! I'm still going out with Ryo! I feel so dirty!" She yelled at herself in her head.

"Calm down Rika! It was only one kiss, sure it was with tongue, sure it was in front loads of people, sure you shared it with a super hero who is drop dead gorgeous…what the hell am I thinking" she racked her brains in frustration.

"You okay Rika?" Ryo asked. She had been very distant lately. It was starting to concern him.

"Yeah! No worries I'm fine!" she said rather too quickly. Ryo gave a stern look, he had a feeling he knew what was up.

"So what do you think of Blood Rose?" he asked. Rika nearly jumped out of her skin as a strong blush came across her face.

"Um…Blood Rose? Well I think he is…um….well…I think he does a good job in…helping people out…" she said quietly as she quickened her pace.

"I think he is just showing off! I mean we have enough vigilantes at the moment! I mean there was the Dark Jester in Odiaba!" he growled.

(AN: See samuraistorm's fan fiction: The Dark Jester for details)

"Well yeah, but that was different, Odiaba has a lot of strange things going on! Here its just unusual to get a hero as brave, kind hearted and as good a kisser as him" she spoke without releasing what she had just said.

"What?!" He cried out. Rika then flashed back to reality and blushed harder than ever.

"I meant as good as heroic deeds are concerned!" she spoke incredibly quickly. Ryo gave a dark look, but dismissed the fact quickly and walked on.

"Phew, that was close. At least things can't get any weirder" Rika breathed a sigh of relief but it was short handed as someone grabbed her waist and yanked her up. Rika screamed causing everyone to look up.

"Rika!" Ryo cried, he ran to free her from her mysterious captor but was blown back when a ball of fire hit his chest.

"Sorry pal! Me and your girl got a lot of talking to do!" the figure giggled. He was wearing a red cloak that blew in the breeze, within a second he had ran into an alley way with his hostage and disappeared.

Back at the fight scene; things had just started up. Blood Rose had charged forward and was unleashing a barrage of sword swipes. The brown cloaked figure though was a slippery customer a continuously dodged the attacks.

"Keep up! You want to kill me your going to have pull a few new tricks out of the bag!" he then ran forward and uppercut Blood Rose in the jaw; sending him flying back.

"How's this for a trick! Telekinetic Slam!" with his mind he encircled the opponent and gripped. He then threw him up and slammed him to the ground.

"How do like them apples?" he grinned. But it faded as to his horror the creature rose up without injury.

"That was pathetic! Let me show you a real attack! Fist Of The Oil Beast King!" the enemy jumped forward and punched the air; in its place was the charging face of a lion made of sludge. It flew forward and hit Blood Rose which seared him with disgust and pain.

"Oil? That's your element?!" he shouted in confusion. The hooded figure seemed to smile as he threw of his cloak.

He had a muscular tanned body with war paint scarred on him. The feet and legs had brown spikes coming out along with orange nails. He wore a belt which had a sealed blade behind, along with many dangling crystals. The shoulders were covered with pads with spikes on them and lastly the face was that of a lion but with messy brown and pure white eyes.

"Holy shit! You have the body of Leomon!" he cried, remembering his friend Jerry's digimon.

"That's right! His brute force and violent nature made him appropriate! My name is Fuoise! I am the demonic brother of oil! I'm here to darken your world!" he shouted.

"Well bring it on! Pussycat!" he growled. He picked up his rapier and charged forward, going for a direct strike. But before he could make contact Fuoise had take out his own sword that was dripping with oil and countered.

"Does everyone have to steal my trademark weapon!" Blood Rose said sarcastically. Both fighters landed and continued to fight.

"Now feel the wrath of: The Sludge Sword!" Fuoise ran forward and slashed diagonally. Blood Rose countered, but because the sword was drenched in slippery oil it slid off leaving room for Fuoise to slash across Blood Rose's torso. He screamed and fell to the ground in pain.

"My power isn't just hard to attack or avoid; its pure poison! It will take longer for you to heal you wounds and every precious second you waist leaves room for me to attack.

Blood Rose felt the droplets of tainted water cut into his system, his rose powers were failing and it was the worst possible time. Still though he got up and looked directly at the beast.

"Your dirty little tactics won't stop me!!" he limped up and readied his sword. Fuoise just laughed at his dilemma.

"You don't know the stakes of this match!" he grinned. Blood Rose gave a puzzled look but Fuoise point up behind him.

He turned to the large crane that stretched kilometres into the air. Using his rose sense he looked up t see two figures on top. One was the red cloaked figure holding someone by the collar over the edge. The second figure was unmistakable to his eyes.

"Rika! What do you sick bastards want with her!" he growled din primal rage. Fuoise just continued to laugh.

"It is always good to have a hostage when the going gets tough! I have decided to play a little game with you! You have fifteen minutes to finish me off and save your girl, or my brother up there will drop little miss redhead down a thousand feet and she will be nothing more than a dead corpse on the side walk! If you think you can play Spider-Man and swing to the rescue by all means go ahead just know I'm not going to make things easy for you!" Fuoise charged forward.

Blood Rose leapt out the way and landed on his feet but that just left a deep pain inside him. The poison was still in affect.

"How do I save her when I care barely fight! I've got to get this guy out of the picture" Blood Rose tried to hold his ground but Fuoise was on the rampage.

"It is over hero! Fist Of The Oil Beast King!" the dirty lion came down on him like a storm and flung him into some tarmac. Blood Rose could barely keep conscious.

"Must…save…her" his mind was telling him to go on but he didn't have the strength; with no healing powers to cure his poison, Blood Rose was a sitting duck with a hunter out to get him.

Blood Rose had never faced such a brutal opponent as oil…


	15. Flame

Digimon

Forbidden Love

Flame

The pain that was surging through Takato's body was now almost unbearable; the poison that was running through his system was draining him of strength. The only reason why he didn't give up was because of the girl who was in danger; Rika, his only one.

Blood Rose gritted his teeth and limped up, he could barely hold his rapier yet alone fight. His healing power was failing and pretty soon he felt like he would black out.

"I must keep going! For both mine and Rika's sakes I must fight!" his thoughts alone were now the only thing keeping him conscious.

Fuoise grinned as he tried to move forward with all his remaining energy, soon it would all be over and the cleric of chaos would rule over all.

"So you want to five it another shot? Fine by me! Fist Of The Oil Beast King!!" the dirty demonic brother leapt forward and swung his fist. A thousand dark lion heads sprang out and nailed the crimson hero to the ground.

"You humans are too predictable! Blinding your thoughts for the sake of another!

Mindlessly trying to save what cannot be saved! Your precious Rika is as good as dead!" he growled.

Blood Rose gritted his teeth and grabbed his rapier and directly stood up; ignoring the immense pain in his body.

"You're the one who is blind! Our love for each other only makes us stronger! Telekinetic Push!" Blood Rose pushed forward an invisible wave of energy, Fuoise snarled jumped out of the way with time to spare.

"My poison has slowed you reflexes thus affecting your powers! Sludge Sword!" Fuoise was now on the offensive and shot out with a sharp attack.

"I don't have the strength to stop him! I have to counter it! I have the counter the chaos!" Blood Rose stood forward with his rapier stretched far to the oncoming attack.

"If I time this right I just might be able to save Rika!" he thought to himself as the evil demon came steadily closer with his sword that dripped oil.

"Time to perish! Fuoise said confidently as the attack came nearer; the sword aiming for Blood Rose' chest.

"Now!" He shouted aloud. He thrust his rapier into the ground and pushed his full weight on it. He threw himself forward and as now upside down on his sword, Fuoise couldn't halt the attack and missed his target. Blood Rose now jumped forward onto the dark lions shoulders and leapt off, this gave him enough air space and time to concentrate all remaining energy into a teleport.

He vanished in a puff off red and reappeared on the crane where the scarlet cloaked figure stood holding Rika by the collar.

"Took you long enough! You only had five more minutes before I dropped her" he spoke like his thought was full of burning charcoal.

"Let her go! This is between you an me!" he roared. The cloaked figure only smirked and threw Rika at him. With lucky timing he caught her before she fell off the edge: she was crying and shaking from her near death experience.

"Its okay Rika…everything is fine now…" he spoke gently. Rika opened her bloodshot eyes to see the handsome hero who had saved her countless times, well technically he had saved her four times but that didn't matter. Without whispering a word she snuggled into his chest making Blood Rose go red.

"Awe, how pathetic…" the red cloaked figure spat. Blood Rose stood up with a stern look. One had gripped his rapier while the other held Rika close.

"Leave now, go away and stop this!" Blood Rose yelled out. True enough he was sick of all the pain he was having to endure, suicide, nightmares, death and fury gagged his thoughts.

"We won't stop, we are so close to completion of total dominance; you won't have anywhere to run now!!" he shouted. He surged both arms forward and out came thousands of rapid fire bullets. Rika screamed, Blood Rose gripped both arms around her and did the only thing he could; he jumped.

The ground began to ascend fast and the gasps of the newly gathered crowd below began to draw closer. Blood Rose faced the upcoming concrete, falling to his death now was out of the question, failing this fight would prove the dark side was right all aloud, that he should have died that day, that the glass should have been allowed to slit his wrists.

"It can't end…it won't!" summoning unknown strength from within he thrust forward a telekinetic blast, the impact drained him to the bone but it did slow their fall and in moments both feet were on the ground.

"Phew, okay Rika your safe-" but he couldn't finish, Rika was locking eyes with him, her untamed sapphire eyes striking his heart tendons. The sword wielding hero felt his knees go weak.

"Again you came to my rescue…you saved by risking your own….I want to know who saved me…I want to know who I kissed…I want to know who makes me feel…makes me feel wanted and loved…" Rika got even closer, her arms slithered up to his mask. Blood Rose was exhaling air heavily now, his blush covering his face.

"I make her feel…loved?" Blood Rose lost all track of time and feeling, her delicate fingers now got to work on slowly, very slowly pushing his mask over his head while her eyelids shut and her lips closer to his.

Ignoring the gaping crowd, Blood Rose felt himself change back into Takato, endlessly hunting for her affection. His mask was almost lifted and they were millimetres away from a kiss when…

"You lovebirds make me sick! Fist Of The Oil Beast King!" an unfriendly voice emerged from the crowd.

"I think its time we silenced them! Fallen Fire Barrage!" an equally sinister voice came from above.

It took about haft a millisecond for Blood Rose to swoop back into effect, he grabbed Rika and threw himself and her out of the line of fire. A few moments later a swarm of dark attacks ripped up the road leaving nothing left unscathed.

"That was too close!" Blood Rose jumped back up and grabbed his rapier, the red cloaked figure was now standing side by side with Fuoise who had been patiently waiting.

"Two demonic brothers, I take it you're my dark sides heavy artillery?" h asked sarcastically. The red cloaked figure smirked and threw off his cloak which revealed the beast beneath the veil.

He was tall figure dressed in red and gold armour, he had clawed talons and razor claws with oval weapons attached to the wrists. He had two shining gold wings which shone in the early morning sun and had an armoured birds head with ruby eyes.

"I am Dorudiin; the demonic brother of flame and the last and most powerful of the clerics servants!" he bellowed in a low and shrill voice.

"Lucky me! I can slice two freaks in one battle" Blood Rose said with a dark smile. Rika was crouched behind him an watched the upcoming confrontation.

"Come Brother! My poison is still in effect, this way we can kill him easily and our place in the new world order will be secured!" Fuoise gleamed his stained yellow teeth.

Dorudiin though stood still, he turned his head slightly to face his counterpart; with a swift swing of his silver claw he drove his armoured nails into Fuoise's chest.

There was a gasp of shock from everyone, even Blood Rose gasped in the unforeseen act; Dorudiin though smiled by his actions while letting his bother bleed oil. He tried to breath in but it was too late, he fell to the ground and turned to ash.

"You…you monster!" Blood Rose yelled out to the demon. He turned to face the crimson hero with no remorse on his face.

"That was your brother! How could you kill him!" Blood Rose shook his fist in anger. He would have fought them both but killing one's own family was a treachery that anyone could hate.

"It was easy; there is only room for one demonic brother; only room for one twisted element in the new world; that honour is mine to bear alone!" Dorudiin bellowed out in his raspy charcoal voice.

Blood Rose clenched his fists in anger; to kill one's own brother was a disgrace, to a family ember was a horrific act; that must be punished.

"I will make you pay! For all the sins you have committed!" he raced forward with sword in hand aimed for the fire beast's chest.

"You won't be able to leave a scratch on me! Fallen Fire Barrage!" his oval weapons automatically shifted forward which revealed automated blasters. Out came a dozen shots of petit flames, Blood Rose was still to weak from the poison couldn't avoid and fell victim to the burning pain.

"Enjoy you final moments…cause after you I'm going for the girl next!" Dorudiin whispered to the fallen hero. At those words, a roar of anger blazed with Blood Rose, with a determined strength he got up and aimed his weapon.

"You will not harm her! You will not spill her blood! If you do! I swear I will make you suffer!" Blood Rose howled.

"How touching! But you are in no position to fight me! Wings Of The Burning Inferno!" He cried. All of a sudden his golden wings started to glow a fearsome orange, a blazing aura gathered around him .

With a powerful push from his mechanical legs, the demon charged forward and collided with Blood Rose, knocking him off his feet and colliding him into the wall; the result was that the whole establishment was destroyed in a sea of fire.

"Oh no!" Rika cried out, she looked into the flames and saw only shadows, but soon sounds of clashing metal could be heard.

Out of the crackling embers leapt out Blood Rose, his sword parrying with Dorudiin's sharp claws. Both of them were in a heated battle but it appeared that the scarlet warrior wasn't being held down by any pressure.

"Your speed and strength has increased! How is this possible?!" the winged beast cried in shock as the rapier broke past his defence and cut at his blazing feathers.

"I owe it to you! Thanks to your flames the oil was ignited, the poison was consumed in the fire which left only the flesh wounds that had caught fire. But with the poison out of my system I could heal!" Blood Rose smiled triumphantly and double kicked him to the concrete.

"His alive…"Rika said, tears of joy were welding up in her eyes, her feelings were now stronger than ever.

Unknown to everyone else; Ryo had barged past the crowd to the front row, witnessing the battle, he saw Rika and he saw her warm smile but it was not directed at him.

"What the?" he turned to see the red hero clashing with the blazing griffon in armour, he was winning at the moment as his strikes were swift and perfectly executed.

"It's time to end this little game!" Dorudiin yelled as he shot a barrage of flames from one arm. But Blood Rose easily dodged it while teleporting away and reappearing behind him and thus landing a straight cut through his wing.

"I couldn't agree more! Let me show you my full strength! Telekinetic Toss!" His hands moved faster than anyone could see, the demon was caught in his telekinetic trap and being tossed from floor to wall.

"I can't be defeated! I am the strongest of the demonic brothers!" sheds of lava tears roll down his face as he was smashed against the cold floor.

"If I am to fall! Let me leave a mark worthy of remembrance!" Dorudiin gave a small cackle before breaking free of the hold.

"Know this; one who covers their identity in a mask of crimson shadows! The cleric will leave your world twisted like never before! That I promise you! As for my legacy I will make sure that you will always remember this fight!" Dorudiin then raced forward at supersonic speed.

Unable to stop the fast attack; Blood Rose could only do one thing. He stood his ground and aimed his rapier, as the beast approached he let out a battle cry slashed diagonally.

The force of impact sent shockwaves scattering everywhere. Rika had to shield her eyes from the attack. When quiet regained control and the dust had cleared she opened her eyes to see a dark sight. In which she let out a scream.

Blood Rose had been impaled with a fiery claw, the blazing nails drove right through his chest to out of his back. He gritted his teeth and let out wails of pain, Dorudiin on the other hand only silently wept burning tears that singed the ground, on his armoured forehead lay a single scratch that Blood Rose had caused.

"You were stronger than I had anticipated…" he gurgled out boiling blood that trickled to the concrete floor. Blood Rose fell to his knees as the claw strangled his insides, unusually though the fire demon retracted it.

"You will live, but I shall die…" the griffon began moan in pain as his beautiful wings burnt away. Blood Rose was kneeled over him gasping for air, the wound left a nasty scar on his chest, he felt it burn. Undoing his top he saw that the five nail marks were joining together to form a golden tattoo, it was a spiral with five marks scattered over it, each had the symbol of the demonic brothers.

"What is this?" he asked when the pain finally faded. Dorudiin managed to sneak a smile, his body began to burn away.

"Live for me…this darkness runs deeper than you can imagine, our world has fallen, my brothers followed the new darkness, I followed him too, but now in death can I express my true nature…please live for me…" his legs were now gone as the flames.

"What are you? I can't read you? Are you evil or something in-between?" Blood Rose asked, his voice now stuttered.

"I was once like you…I was once a man…I was once a man against the cleric of chaos…until he changed me and my brothers into monsters…the reason Fuoise was killed was to spare him…to protect him from living a dark life against his will…what I have said in the battle…was not my voice…but the cleric's…but the one thing I do stand by…is that the cleric will twist your world…" Dorudiin was now a armoured chest and face with the rest burning away.

"Your saying ExTakato is going to win?" Blood Rose whispered, he was now feeling pity and sorrow for the fallen warrior.

"The cleric of which is speak…is not the one you know…he is the original…one day your paths will cross…be ready…as for your darkness…the battle is yours alone…know your enemies closer than your friends…for your friends are not sometimes what they appear…this mark I have drawn on your flesh…" he ran the tip of his burning hand over the mark.

"The individual symbols represent the good will of myself and my brothers…so may we once again live through you…the large spiral…is the key to stopping your evil…only know…this evil is not you fault…other evil encouraged this…your darkness escaped through another darkness…but it is your destiny to fight him…look back on what you've already been told…as well…as what I have said to you…for both is needed if all of us want to live…" Dorudiin was now just an armoured head burning into the wind. Blood Rose was now starting to cry as well, for what was evil now gave him hope.

"Just know this…your alter ego…will have a chance to defeat evil…your true self will succeed…in freeing your heart…only know this…Takato…" It whispered. Blood Rose was shocked to hear his real name, and how a once demo knew of I but he dare not speak.

"Your love…is not forbidden…" were Dorudiin's final words before he vanished into nothingness. For a short time Blood Rose crouched there with the wind in his hair, his mask dampened from tears. Eventually he stood up and began to walk away, the murmurs of the crowd echoing at his back.

"You did it!" a familiar voice rang in his ears; Rika ran up and hugged her, but he did not hug her back, for he knew it was Blood Rose she desired and not his rue self, so he only shrugged her off. She stopped and stared in confusion, her gaze would have normally pieced his heart, until he realised his heart was locked away, he had been taught that, and he would not fall to any temptation of love until he had finished what needed to be done. With a final stare he teleported away leaving a star struck Rika looking into the nothingness, unknown to why her saviour had left, unknown to what lay ahead for them both.

Blood Rose…no…Takato knew what had to be done, everyone was in jeopardy if he let evil continue to attack, he knew he must strike at the heart, he was going to face the other side of himself, he was going to face his nightmares.

As he let himself vanish and reappear, in-between he looked on a parting gaze to who in that last moment of life had given him the instruction to do what was truly necessary.

That day; Takato prayed for the one who had been cursed by flame…


	16. Shadow

Digimon

Forbidden Love

Shadow

There was a mystifying aroma scattered around the site where one of the most tragic battles ever had occurred, though all civilians were blind to the presence of the soul who was tortured by waves of love and hate, but had now gone to face his pain and fight it until it existed no longer.

Rika was among those who were blinded, she was now silent with her sapphire eyes facing the sky, her arms hung loosely and her lips quivered to the fact that her masked hero had left her.

"Why did shrug me off? Did I insult him? Did I offend him? Have I somehow disrespected him? Why would he turn away from me?" Rika asked herself. But her dazed state came to an end when strong and rough hands grabbed her shoulders and forced her around to meet unfriendly eyes.

"What the hell was that?!" Ryo spat out, he was paled in the face that Rika had hugged Blood Rose, but it was from bruising of pride and not of broken heart.

"I…I was just thanking him…he did save my life…" Rika stuttered, she had never seen her boyfriend act so strangely. Things like this had never bothered him before, but with a hero on the block he was acting out of place.

"Thanking him? You hugged him! I swear you trying to get more than that! Are you trying to chat up some guy who wears a mask to make yourself look popular or to gain face!" Ryo yelled out, tugging at her arm.

"What! How dare you! I would never do that! I'm not one of those stuck-up cheerleader types! I thought you knew me more than that!" Rika yelled back.

"All I want to know is that my girlfriend isn't trying to make out with some punk in leather for kicks!" Ryo yelled out, he was cutting off the circulation in her arm.

"What?!! I would never do that! Since when is it your business to know what goes on in my personal life!" Rika freed her arm and pushed Ryo back.

"Since I became your personal life!! You can't try to get a guy in bed around my back!" Ryo shouted out.

That had really done it, Rika swung her arm around and slapped him hard around the face, he fell back slightly and clutched his cheek, it was burning hot and a light shade of pink.

Without another word Rika walked off with tears swelling in her eyes, leaving a startled Ryo who was growling in anger. He would have yelled back to her, he would have thought up his worst insults but he couldn't she had left him in such a state that to speak was like breaking down an iron gate.

While the media and police showed up, late as usual, Ryo stomped off before he could be interrogated and embarrassed even more.

"That worthless little slut!!" he thought in his head, dark images rolled in his brain of how treacherous she had been, but it wasn't her, it was Blood Rose, he suddenly appears and takes the fame away from him, after all he was the Digimon King, he was the ultimate card player, he deserved the glory.

"But no!! He comes along and acts all high and mighty with some freakish costume and powers, he takes my girl away! He takes everyone's attention! I swear if I ever get the chance I'm going to murder-"

"Having girl trouble Ryo?" a voice said to the side of him, interrupted from his thought Ryo turned to see a thin figure with pale skin and hazel hair wearing a brown trench coat with their wall against the alley and a sinister smirk.

"Oh, it's just you Takato" Ryo said bluntly. The smiling teen stood up and walked over to the other, his smile held in pace and his skin the same colour as chalk.

"Are you okay? You like a ghost" Ryo said. Takato didn't reply and stood in place while staring like an eagle.

"Okay, whatever…weirdo" Ryo muttered as he walked away.

"Rika sure seemed to like Blood Rose's performance" Takato blurted out all of a sudden. Ryo stopped in his tracks and turned around sharply to face him.

"His act got the whole crowd going, he did all for the red head who just happened to be so turned on that she forgot all about you to go and exchange romantic conversation with him" Takato said calmly.

"Shut up! What do you know about it anyway!" Ryo shouted and taking a step forward, his face as red as cherry wine.

"Looks like I hit a nerve, what's the matter? Afraid that you can't compete with extraordinary abilities, jealous that you can't have that potential to do great or terrible things, confused to how your girl wants to open herself up to a total stranger while you are left like yesterday's news?" Takato laughed out loud.

Ryo burst out in rage grabbed Takato's collar and thrust him against the wall, his eyes bloodshot and teeth grinding themselves away.

"Shut up! Just shut up! Stop talking or I'll…!" Ryo threatened as he started to strangle Takato's throat, only intentional to scare him away.

"…So much evil, so much darkness, so much spite, you are perfect…" a now dark sounding Takato spoke, the shadows around them started to spiral along the ground and grab Ryo's feet.

"What the hell! This isn't funny Takato! Stop it right now!" Ryo ordered, he stopped though when he saw that they were no longer in the alley, they were now in a different place, a place full of nothings, where the black and empty space went on forever.

"What have you done?! Where are we!" Ryo yelled. Takato grinned and lashed out a forked tongue like a cobra.

"This is just a little time and space displacement, easily manipulated through my power, you on the other hand might want to worry about what the shadows are doing to you right now"

Ryo just realised that the shadows were crawling along him, his legs were now fully entangled and he could move them at all. He was now beginning to break into a cold sweat and was vigorously thrashing about to try and escape the darkness's hold, but it was no use.

"Foolish human, you think you can escape the binds of fate; it has been drawn through the stars that this day would come; even I was foolish to disbelieve them when I tried to alter it by trying to assassinate my other, but I now see clear at the price of my minions, we must all play out fate in its musical of death and cruelty, it will come down to who has the stronger will, and then it shall become clear who fate has chosen to change this world by their design; this is something I desire more than anything! But to do it, I need an edge; someone who can destroy my other before they reach me, then I will be the clear victor!!" As these words escaped Takato's lips while the voice behind faded in sanity; Ryo was gasping and crying for his torso had been consumed by the dark, living tendrils of malice.

"Takato! This isn't funny! Stop it! I'm begging you!" Ryo pleaded as the blackness slithered along his neck.

"You still think I'm that weakling? Idiotic child; do not fear though because soon all you will know is how to serve and destroy" the impostor smirked; his eyes had now changed to a dark purple colour and then to a menacing green.

Ryo's final scream echoed through the endless void; in a few moments all that remained was a mutating substance that began to form into a creature as dark as the impostor.

"Let's see Blood Rose stand up to this!" the faker laughed as his creation kneeled before him, in his hand a thorny black rose…

CITY CENTRE

Takato trudged along the dusty ground with his school bag swung over his shoulder; he hadn't bothered going to school, how could he study when he knew an evil more dangerous than other living creature was out there plotting some sinister scheme to plunge his world into torment.

"Dorudiin's instructions are the key to my victory; as well as what Gallantmon has already told me. I have to make sense of everything they have already told me, as well as this weird tattoo…" Takato quickly undid his shirt to see the masterpiece that the flaming warrior had drawn on him, it had faded into a black spiral with five shining points around it.

"If my parents, friends or teachers saw this I would never hear the end of it" Takato chuckled as he did back up his shirt. He slowly walked around the streets, still unaware of the direction he was heading in, he still had no idea of where to start his search and what he should be looking for, he had no link to the random attacks of ExTakato.

"Takato?" came a soft voice; Takato instantly froze and creaked his neck around to see the beautiful redhead behind him, wearing her normal school clothes with the same normal features of sapphire eyes and fair skin.

"Rika…what are you doing here?" Takato asked as he lowered his head, usually he would have been smitten with her presence, but after all it was her that was the source of his pain and misery.

"Didn't you hear? Blood Rose and two mutated freaks clashed in the middle of downtown! I was just going home but then I ran in to you" she said quietly.

"I guess I didn't…" Takato said darkly, without another word he began to walk off but was stopped as a smooth arm grabbed his shoulder.

"What is with you Takato?! You have been acting so strangely lately and its starting to get on my nerves! Whenever me and Ryo appear you shrug off somewhere else, when I met you near the woods you were secretive and tried to lunge out at me! Now whenever Blood Rose suddenly shows up you always disappear! What's with you!" Rika yelled in his face.

This was too much for Takato, after everything he had sacrificed and all the pain he had suffered, the one thing he was fighting for threw it back like he was the bad guy, like she was the one with the problems.

"Shut the hell up!" Takato screeched. Rika went deathly quiet and stepped back at his outburst.

"You think you are the one with the problems! You think your like is a cesspool at the moment! You think your feeling the horrors of life! You have been living it easy! You don't have any idea of what I've been through!!" Takato shrieked in her face.

Rika was speechless, Takato was always the cheerful and easy going of all their friends, his sudden change in attitude chilled her to the bone.

"Just stay away from me! Stay away and live a safe life! Stay away and…don't let your love be forbidden" Takato said as stray tears crashed around him, with that statement he walked off into the grave morning, leaving a stunned girl to watch the cursed boy walk away from his sorrow.

She didn't have much time to think or feel after that; for as she was about to let out a cold whimper, a black gloved had swooped down and gripped her throat, taking them both away into the alley's cover.

Takato was now walking while his whole body was slumped over, he felt guilty about leaving Rika there with such accusations thrown at her, she had been the source of his grief but yet felt so strongly for her.

"Life just doesn't give me a break…" Takato sighed as he continued his long trek to a location even he didn't know.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!" the scream penetrated the sound barrier with its mournfulness and fear, and it was a scream Takato knew well.

"Rika!" He yelled aloud, he spun around to see a fast shadow leaping off rooftops with a beautiful hostage.

"They've captured her! Burn me in hell for being so stupid! I have to save her! I…" Takato looked to the ground, he took out the red mask out of his pocket and faced it with worn eyes.

"For one last time…" he said to the Earth, he then snatched his bag and ripped out the sparkling red clothes with dazzling rose that shone in the sun.

Rika blearily opened her eyes; the last thing she remembered was watching Takato leave, but now she was somewhere completely different. She looked to her side to see a long drop to the city streets below.

She gasped in shock and pushed her self back to see she was on one of the largest buildings in the city, but the question was how did she get up here or a better question was who brought her up here.

"Awake already my damsel of distress" a sinister voice came form her left, she looked to see a trench coated Takato, standing calmly on the gravel of the rooftop looking like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Takato! What the-how did-I thought-" she stuttered.

"Relax my dear, you are just here to take part in a little dominance of this miserable planet, fate has inquired myself and another to fight for it, you are my trump card to success!" Takato lashed out a forked tongue like a serpent which crept Rika out so much she began to shovel backwards towards the ledge.

Takato then stopped his grinning and turned to the sky, the look on his face was that of total concentration and focus, like he was sensing the flow of nature.

"He's coming, be prepared" Takato whispered; a growing darkness began to form from the ground and remodelled into that of a human figure, Rika began to hyperventilate with panic.

Blood Rose was sprinting to his limit, whenever he came to the edge of a rooftop he had to combine jumping with teleporting just get enough distance to skip two building to increase the distance between him and where he saw captor take Rika.

Soon he saw it, the tallest building in the city with Rika tied and gagged to ventilation shaft, her face was pale from the amount of danger she was encountering in one week.

"Rika! Are you okay!" Blood Rose yelled out, his response was a muffled yell from her. She was yelling as loud as her soar lungs would allow her but that still wasn't enough.

"Don't worry! I'm going to get you-" he was taken aback as a lunging figure covered in darkness struck forward and tackled him to off the ledge of the building, it then gathered a dark energy sphere in it's hand and pulsed it into Blood Rose's body making him let out a roar of pain, the blast shattered all windows for miles.

After the fast yet destructive display, Blood Rose was sprawled on the ground, trying to breathe properly. He crouched up to see his attacker and his heart stopped beating for a minor second.

The figure was wearing a long sleeved, skin tight black outfit with silver lines as the design, the rims were laced with a bracelet that had spikes protruding from it, they wore black gloves with silver skulls painted on the front. The trousers were attached with a black belt and silver buckle with the imprint of a thorn on it, the trousers themselves were a usual black except for the edges which were in the shape of silver flames. The shoes were black and had skull imprints on the bottom with chrome metal attached into the heel and lastly the figure wore a black mask with silver eyepieces and natural features of pale skin and hazel coloured hair.

Blood Rose looked on with horror at the sight of the fighter who looked extremely similar to him despite the colour of suit and human looks. All of a sudden the black mask began to ripple away, revealing the face beneath it, the identity gave a twisted smile.

"Ryo!" Blood Rose yelled out in astonishment, Rika also gave a muted scream of shock at the revelation that her boyfriend was her kidnapper.

"You knew this was coming…Takato…" Ryo whispered so Rika couldn't hear. Blood Rose had to steady himself at the information he was being given. Ryo had assumed some costume that was a dark version of his and knew his true identity.

"A masterpiece if I do say so myself…" the voice of the second Takato spoke as he appeared from nothingness.

"You!!" Blood Rose pointed accusingly.

"You have no right to assume that identity! My other…" Blood Rose spat viciously, he knew full well that what he was facing was his evil other in disguise.

"Mesmerising isn't it? It took a lot of practise but I had enough power to assume a physical form in your world; fate destined me for it. Now, hero, let me introduce you to your successor" ExTakato gestured to Ryo.

"What have you done to him!" Blood Rose demanded, his fists were shaking in anger at the fact of how his true self had been used in an act and how a friend had been passed to the other side.

"Just gave him enough power to level you and an entire city, during my many plans to defeat you I came across the idea of if I was the other of your true form behind the mask, then I would need a warrior who was the other side of your alter ego and who better to play the part than your rival for you love's affection. Blood Rose; allow me to introduce Dark Thorn, your better half" ExTakato sniggered.

"Ryo…I don't want to hurt you Ryo, but if you stand between me and my darkness then I will have to forcefully remove you!" Blood Rose took out his shining rapier and thrust it in front of him.

"Come, hero, your destruction will be my ascension to the darkness!" Ryo yelled out as his mask remodelled over his face, he pulled out a thorny black rose but soon it separated into two black rapiers with silver jagged markings.

The darkness shall take another willing host

Face your enemy

The words of Takato's former digital partner echoed inside his mind, this was it. This is where his confrontation with his dark side began.

With one swift movement Blood Rose and Dark Thorn leapt into the air; their rapiers clashing and roses or red and black challenging each other for dominance.

This is where Takato and Blood Rose would begin to face their shadow…


	17. Abomination

Digimon

Forbidden Love

Abomination

How had this all started? Takato often asked himself this. To begin with it was all about Rika; she was the jewel he had to steal and it was her that he wanted to embrace and no other.

Now though this had gotten complicated; in the time of six weeks he had gained extraordinary abilities, created a superhero alias, made himself a rival, learnt to be a rapier wilding expert, French kissed his interest for the first time, defeated five elemental terrors and was currently squaring off against his rival who had be twisted to the dark side with his evil other disguised as himself watching smugly in the background and Rika gagged and tied up.

"To think I could have all avoided this if I just decided to date another girl! Why does the alternative always appear in front of me when I'm way to deep!" Takato groaned.

Back to reality; the sound of clashing metal was erupting through the city. Blood Rose and Dark Thorn were leaping from building to building and duelling with fast and swift rapier strikes. Of course though Blood Rose had no idea what his rival turned enemy could do.

Watching the unravelling battle was ExTakato, hidden behind his human disguise, he sniggered as both fighters exchanged midair swipes and cuts trying to decapitate each other. He sighed at how brilliant it had all worked out, he had his other caught in a web of pain and suffering; he had to defeat and possibly kill a close friend to save his love who liked his friend and his alter ego but not his true self and fight off his dark side who was a part of him.

"There's nothing like the sweet sound of swords shattering against each other and blood being spilt on a Thursday morning" he chuckled to himself, his forked tongue lashing at the air.

The only one utterly confused by this was Rika, she had no idea what was going on. All that she did know was he boyfriend had turned psycho and gone after her possible superhero affair and arranging it all was her close friend Takato.

"What is going on?! Why is Ryo acting like this?! Why is Takato trying to kill Blood Rose?!" Rika's head was booming with questions that seemed to have no answer. All she could really do was watch the climatic battle unfold and hope the outcome would explain the terrible things that were happening.

Back with actual fighters; Blood Rose seemed to have the slight lead. He was taking advantage of his power to teleport and tried to slash Dark Thorn on all angles. The black masked warrior simply parrying and countering the fast movements like he wasn't even trying to make an offensive assault.

"I think I've toyed with Ryo for long enough! Time to show him why I am the true rose warrior!" he thought as he leapt back about a metre and aimed his rapier.

"Not that I'm faltered that you chose to mimic my costume design, I think its time you felt what the original can do! Telekinetic Push!" Blood Rose's usual invisible pulse wave came forward with powerful force.

"You forget! I am your better! Whatever you can do I can do but with the power multiplied by a thousand! Blackout Sonnet Slash!!" Ryo grinned.

With lightning speed, he dodged the pulse wave and can behind the red masked warrior. His rapiers was glowing an eerie black and Blood Rose only had time to look around in shock and confusion before the first thousand strikes came down on him hard like an unforgiving rainstorm.

Dark Thorn struck with the speed of an attacking cobra, yet his moves flexible and silent like a cat and were only drowned out by Blood Rose's screams as over one hundred thousand cuts hand been pulled upon him which sent him staggering to the ground.

"Not bad if I do say so myself! Just know that you hero are out of your league! In this fight I'm the one holding all the cards! And soon you will find yourself in a cold grave dug by my blade!" Dark Thorn shouted at the fallen vigilante.

"Sorry to disappoint you but you may want to reschedule with the funeral service! Telekinetic Fury!" Blood Rose flipped himself in front of him and sent out a barrage of scarlet blows to all his limbs and sent him falling face first to the gritty ledge.

"I can't believe you were doing the whole bad guy speech! That's about fifty years out of date!" Blood Rose chortled as Dark Thorn steadied himself with a large grimace, that was yet another time that he had humiliated him but this time he was going to pay for it.

"Lets see if your laughing after this! Shadow Symphony!" he boomed out. Much to the crimson hero's surprise the shadows that covered the building began to shape themselves, soon they had become black flaming creatures with two large talons and burning tendrils.

With a terrible roar they charged forward with claws outstretched and death written in their eyes. Soon about ten of them were all over Blood Rose with plans to impale him until he was nothing but a lifeless corpse.

"I hate these things!" Blood Rose yelled out in panic as he jumped out the way just in time. He remembered these creatures clearly for they were the ones that had attacked him the day he had first learnt of his powers and left his house in ruins and had nearly cut deep enough that future generations for him were out of the window.

The creatures gargled with bubbling black saliva and tried to catch Blood Rose off guard. Luckily he was on top of things and began to slice them up, they were more agile than last time and took some clever manoeuvring and teleporting to finish each of them off but soon he had cut down the last one.

Out of breath and drowning cold sweat as he turned to Dark Thorn who was casually tapping his foot as if bored and waiting for him to make his next move. That just boiled Blood Rose up even more and let out a battle cry and charged forward with rapier ready chop right through his skull.

"You are to predictable Dusk Rhapsody!" Dark Thorn outstretched his rapiers and soon the twisted aura was back, only this time surrounding him. As Blood Rose moved in for what might have been the kill, the black suited swordsman charged forward only this time his body was propelled forward at great speed with a dark trail following him. The result was a perfect strike through the chest for Blood Rose who yelled out a roar of pain as blood cam from the wound and gargled in his mouth.

Blood Rose fell to the floor clutching his wound; the blow had struck deeper than anything he had felt before, even deeper than Dorudiin's claw impalement. He began to toss and turn as the flesh screamed as the punctured wound though small had went right through his spine.

"Right about know I would probably go into a speech about how you had this coming and how I was your better and Rika rightfully belongs to me! But since you pointed out that long speeches waste time I think I'll put you out of your misery and assume my rightful place among the elite of the new world order!" Dark Thorn smiled crookedly as he raised his stained weapon and prepared to bring it down.

"Burn in Hell Takato!" With that notation he brought down his weapon and aimed it for his right temple and from there would be know escape from death's clutches.

"Yes! Kill him! Kill him so I may reign supreme in his form and take up my rightful position as cleric of chaos and ruler of both worlds!" ExTakato roared in delight as the sword came down. Rika could only give out a muffled shriek of horror.

"The only one going to Hell is you and ExTakato!" Blood Rose yelled as he teleported out of the way. He reappeared and sent down a hard axe kick to the surprised evil warrior and send him sprawling on the ground.

"What?! Will I ever rid myself of that pest!" ExTakato tightened his fist, his eyes were changing colours from marshy greens to fiery oranges.

"Clever move…" Dark Thorn wheezed as he limped up. He was leaning on the support of his rapiers and glaring hatefully.

"All that time you were on the ground you spent channelling you healing power. It got you free of my final blow but I bet that has really emptied your reserves which means you have little energy to perform your telekinetic moves which leaves my opportunity to strike!" Dark Thorn raced forward and began slashing like he was in a frenzy.

Blood Rose groaned and began to parry the moves as one after another his opponents attacks hammered away at him, shakily he was barely able to take in breath after one attack had subsided and another commenced.

"I hate to admit it but he's right! Healing that direct attack has given me barely enough energy to do a telekinetic attack at normal level. I can't risk attacking with my psychic abilities just I case I need to make an emergency dodge with my teleporting power. That just leaves my sword skill but I can barely keep my ground yet alone counter!" Blood Rose cursed his luck and tried to fight back but the onslaught of rapier strikes wouldn't allow it.

There was no telling how long the battle went on for, ExTakato watched and enjoyed every moment of it, Rika still dazed and confused more stunning and deadly attacks were swapped and both rapier fighters continued to try and sustain their stamina and skill.

Soon though the battle took a route for the worst as one of Dark Thorn's overpowering blows made Blood Rose loose his footing and fall to the ground gasping for breath. A fight had never lasted this long and with the lack of power he had and Ryo's now new and dark fighting skills he didn't think he would last long.

"I think it's time to make a revelation in this battle! Shade Crescendo!" Dark Thorn ran forward, his swords reverting back rose for the time being, in his spare hand a dark energy ball gathered so dark that the night sky could be compared as star shining brightly. Blood Rose remembered this move; this is what had knocked the energy out of him at the beginning but this time it was larger and he had a shred idea that it was going to be more painful.

"If that thing hits I'm done for! I have only one choice! I've got to counter it otherwise if I dodge he'll sent all of us along with half the city plummeting into the afterlife!" Blood Rose gritted his teeth but stood his ground as he began to swing his sword in a circular motion.

ExTakato could only watch with glee what was about to happen, his sharp teeth and snake tongue with hissing constantly now at the excitement that was building up inside him.

"This is all too perfect! Takato knows full well if counters with Onimusha Slash he could send both him and everyone on his pathetic scrap heap down to meet the endless torment of the underworld. He along could be responsible for the death of thousands! Maybe I wasn't totally wrong about having him as another!" ExTakato thought evilly as both opponents engaged.

"This is where it ends!" Dark Thorn yelled as his energy ball that was now covered in twisted energy and now the size of a very large football grew closer to his target.

"Please…let it not end this way…Onimusha Slash!" Blood Rose gathered scarlet energy in his sword and struck down against the dark energy ball that now collided.

In that moment it was the ties of fate that were in control; there were two ways this could possibly go, Dark Thorn was the obvious choice as his attack was more powerful and had no don't it would work. On the other hand there was Takato who had barely anything left but he had the most will behind his attack for everything in him was poured into his sword at that moment.

The sound of endless quiet ended with a catastrophic explosion that should have level the city. Interestingly though the explosion only happened on the centre building where the two fighters were perched.

After the fog of dust and ash subsided there was only a wrecked building downwards though it still stood as if a beaten battleground that never faded. Agonising breaths were also heard as Blood Rose was still standing but utterly exhausted with a small smirk on his face. Ryo on the other hand was on the floor gasping for breath, his attack had been cancelled out and all was left to show of it was his wounds.

"You…you…son of a-" Dark Thorn couldn't finish as it was blocked out by Blood Rose's laughter. His laughter was that of defying all odds. His victory wasn't won yet but it was a triumph in itself to know he could still beat him.

"I wouldn't be laughing! You may have stopped my attack by I still struck you!" he sniggered as tried to find the strength to get up.

"What are you talking about! Your attack only knocked the wind and nothing more!" Blood Rose spat. Dark Thorn laughed manically before getting up fully, fuelled by knowledge of his inescapable victory.

"That was my most powerful attack and has a couple of nasty side effects! It uses the electric current in my nerve system to power it and as soon as it made contact it infected you! I have fully disabled you ability to heal!!" he laughed insanely. Blood Rose felt his throat go dry, his power to heal was one relied on when tackled with power enemies.

"So you had an ace up your sleeve! I still have enough life in me to stop you!" he said bitterly as he turned to him limping slightly. Dark Thorn's accusation seemed to be correct, he could feel his system taking the strain of the battle and his now automatic healing factor had failed. He had faced this dilemma with Fuoise but not this extreme level.

"You still hope! Don't you see! There is no hope! I have won! This city! This country! This world! All belongs to chaos! I am part of it! I will end your existence!" Dark Thorn had now tipped over into madness. Dropping his precious black rose he raced forward and tackled him to the ground and grabbed his mask.

"I'm going to humiliate you in front of Rika first! Then she and soon the rest of the world will know your secret! Then I will destroy you slowly and painfully!" Dark Thorn spat out. Blood Rose felt the cold grip of him around his mask and throat with him kneeing on his stomach.

Blood Rose couldn't even think straight now; all the horrors he had been confronted with were now taking their effect on him. Was he losing his mind? Was he finally starting to succumb to the edge of sanity?

"Is this how I am supposed to die…is this how I end my life…please…if anyone out there loves me enough to let me live…please give me the strength…please give me the hope…" Blood Roe pleaded.

He then felt a strange warmth come over his eyes, were his tears making his eyes burn? No, it was his mask, his mask was glowing and strange warming light. Losing touch of reality all he could hear were Ryo's screams like his hand was on fire. This mask was torching his palm to pieces.

With a great show of will; Blood Rose swung his legs up and shot Dark Thorn off of him sending him to the right side of the building. Blood Rose steadied himself as his mask continued to grow. A sudden revelation came over him; as if he somehow knew what this meant and what sacrifice was needed to follow.

"I have no other choice! If I stop now I'm dead! I have to take the risk!!" Blood Rose took in a deep breath. Dark Thorn was now screeching a battle charge with his recovered rapiers.

"Let the spirit of Blood Rose flow through this mask!" he yelled aloud and did something even he thought was crazy but no time to back down; he took off his mask There were a collection of gasps that he couldn't identify. He had lost touch with the real world for a moment but he assumed they came from Rika.

"Let the spirit of true justice flow through this mask!!" Takato yelled to the heavens. The mask was now glowing at it's peak and now had turned in a crimson energy sphere.

Dark Thorn was almost upon him with rapiers ready to slice and murder, Takato felt death draw nearer and held the course of the future in his hand.

"Let the spirit of hope, peace, tranquillity, freedom, happiness, joy, nobility and love flow through this mask and vanquish this evil!!" Takato yelled as hard as he could and surged the energy forward, right in Ryo's chest.

The last thing that Takato remembered before temporarily blacking out were the warmth of hope and the shrill cries of Ryo.

Takato's eyes soon blearily opened to see a cloudy sky full tyranny as lightning struck all around him. A storm had come and he knew for what. For this occasion was what he had been preparing for.

He sat up to see Rika, no longer gagged and tied from the force of the blast and staring at Takato with shocked eyes and completely speechless. For once in a long time Takato blushed and scratched the back of his head. If he could make it threw this he had a lot of explaining to do.

He looked around to see the building shattered into grey craters and the city around blocked out by an intense fog and the storm above.

Then the sound of clapping could be heard as the dreaded figure stepped onto the scene; tattered and looking really unhappy was ExTakato yet he was still clapping. In an immediate reaction Takato hid Rika behind him and stood up with a hard stare.

"You really know how to pull out the miracles and spoil everything I have worked for!" he sniggered in a dark way.

"Its over! You have to stop this before more innocents are lost! Please let me help you for I am the only one here who is going to give you the slightest bit of compassion!" Takato said almost desperately.

"Compassion! I have no need for weakness such as that! That is what separates us! Why you hide in the light why I take up to the throne of chaos! You stood in my way for the last time! This is why I will be the one to kill you! Now that you discarded Blood Rose only your true self remains to destroy! Now…you…will…feel…my…FURY!!" The dark figure screeched to the sky as a twisted aura surrounded him and he began to reveal his true form.

Making sure Rika was safely behind him; Takato could only watch in bitter tension and fear as he was about to witness the birth of this abomination…


	18. Chaos

Digimon

Forbidden Love

Chaos

There were no words that could describe what emotions were flooding through Takato; finally after fighting through the impossible and withstanding the cruel hands of suffering…he was going confront the source of his endless pain.

The fog was now thicker than blood and encircled the entire establishment like a gate blocking their way out, the storm overhead roared with thunderous applause as the battle became underway. For with each crackle of lightning and clap of thunder they supported the dormant master of darkness that had spawned from a human and now had a true physical form and would soon ascend to bringing chaos to every corner of this miserable world.

Where ExTakato had once stood was now what looked like a circular cocoon of twisted purple energy, its aura sending out shockwaves that would break the concrete beneath them and shoot out random shots of electricity.

"God only knows what kind I've monster he's becoming! The readings of darkness I'm getting from this thing is off the charts! Whatever ExTakato is doing in there is defiantly not good for me!" Takato thought while swallowing hard.

Retreated behind him, Rika could only crouch down and watch as what seemed to be a spiralling egg grow and let out inhuman squawks of malice. She was fiercely holding on to Takato's leg and praying it was just a bad dream she was having.

"This can't be real…this can't be possible…I must be dreaming…there is no way on earth that Takato can be a masked vigilante…Ryo can't have gone insane…this thing can't be real…whatever it is, its dangerous and it wants to kill everything…please someone wake me up…" Rika shut her eyes fearfully and clutched onto Takato's leg even harder.

All of a sudden she felt a gloved hand gently stroke the side of her face, she looked up to see Takato giving her a warm smile looked like he wasn't worried in the slightest. In actual fact he was terrified down to his core, but he couldn't let Rika know that. He could see by her bewildered eyes that she was confused and had no idea how to perceive that the masked vigilante that had saved her on more than one occasion was her school comrade who she thought was weak.

"Could it be true…" were her lasts thoughts. If in some random and completely insane universe that he was Blood Rose, the fact was she didn't mind being saved by her fellow student, it was that if Takato and Blood Rose wee indeed the same that meant that they had…

Rika broke out in a fierce blush darker than cherry wine, she looked up t see Takato also blushing hard due to the fact he was somewhat uneasy about explaining to her that he was the one responsible for their French kiss.

"If by some miracle I survive this hellhole, I don't I'll live to explain to Rika before she kills me" Takato chuckled with a nervous laugh.

A dark howling caught their attention as the twisted sphere began to vibrate rapidly and shockwaves burst from in and began to pierce the stormy sky. Takato grew serious and motioned Rika to take cover. She looked up at him, thinking he was out of his mind, but by the fiery determination in his eyes she only crawled away behind a ventilation shaft about two metres back to watch the carnage unfold.

"I know your in there! Come out and face me so we can end this ordeal!" Takato barked out. The sphere sent him a roaring crackle of lightning in return, the storm seemed to be on evil's side this day. Mother Nature was in the cleric's control for the time being and it looked like he was abusing her will to its fullest.

The sphere then began to make a sharp cracking sound. Takato held his breath as he saw that the egg was beginning to shatter. A long and winding crack began to plummet down the egg through its centre and a ghostly screeching was heard from within. As the crack reached the bottom there was a pause and the evil murmurs ceased for the time being.

Takato breathed in deeply and sharply, his heart was a flurry of heavy thumps and mind raced with hundreds of crooked and malevolent forms that his other could have taken. The silence was broken faster than a raindrop falls as a horrific roar came from the shell and both side exploded with terrible force which sent Takato flying backwards.

Takato coughed to try and get the dirt out of his system and staggered up; the fog was even thicker as it had mated with endless voids of smoke and steam. Rika moved her head slightly towards the cloudy area but kept well hidden. Takato felt his insides cut themselves to ribbons with anticipation; slowly he moved forward. It took only one step to reveal that the cloud was disappearing and the monster had been born. If Takato had not learnt to face horrific fear, he probably would have died of fright.

The creature was standing tall, it was about seven feet tall and its body riddle with exposed muscle. That were its nice qualities; its body was bathed in grey, scaly flesh that were tightened like hard leather. Its torso had a lighter patch around its belly around the six pack and various scars shaped it making Satanist symbols. Its arms were long, thin but had black veins travelling down it every time the creature breathed in. The hands revealed long black nails that looked like that could decapitate a field of animals almost in an instant. The legs were flexible and the kneecaps sprouted two sharp black knife edges along with the feet that were webbed and had small black nails with a long one shooting out of the heel. The head although covered in grey scales looked human in a sense if you didn't count his hair was ablaze and his eyes were like amber with two black slits in them with a row of teeth though they could probably get away with being called daggers. Lastly and the most threatening feature were the gigantic dark grey wings that sprouted from the shoulder blades and gave the impression of a vampire along with a long and winding tail that held two long black blades.

Takato could only watch in dismay as the demonic entity took in its first breaths of a new world to conquer and infect with chaos. This was his other, it had escaped through him and now had a personality and body of its own.

"Cleric of Chaos? More like King of the Damned!! This is what I'm meant to defeat! After five elements nearly crushed me a dark clone nearly obliterates me; fate wants me to fight this demon!" Takato had to steady himself at the mere sight.

"This world…so many souls to consume and bring into chaos…I will be the ruler of both realms…realms where order will be extinct!" It yelled out with a voice lingering with a dark echo.

"ExTakato? What the hell have you done to yourself!" Takato yelled out. The demon set its gaze on him like a python with its tongue darting and spiralling.

"Take a good look Takato, this what a man looks like when he embraces his destiny! As for ExTakato; I have no need for that slave name anymore. I am Devil for I rule all that thrives in chaos!" he spoke vilely.

****

**_Face Yourself…_**

"No matter what form you take! You're still the same freak that spawned from my hatred! Now its my responsibility to stop you!" Takato then snatched up his discarded rose and leapt forward. His height was tremendous and was coming down like a hammer with his rapier ready to pierce his other's demonic skin.

"You still don't get it!" Devil's voice echoed as his tail came to life and shot forward at dangerous speed; swiping Takato in the chest. The blades on the tail were blunted so it didn't pierce but it did leave a large and dark bruise and it was enough to knock the unmasked warrior out of the sky.

"Weak and pathetic child! Do you not realise that I have ascended above all! In this form I have become a God!" With that quote his tail lashed out again and delivered a heavy strike to Takato's head; sending him rolling along the dusty concrete.

"Takato!" Rika yelled out. Abandoning her own safety she raced over to him; he was slumped on his shoulders with a bleeding forehead and bruised torso.

"Takato…we have to get out of here, I don't have a clue to why that thing wants you or why your dressed up like a vigilante but I know that it will kill us if we stay! We have to run!" she pleaded.

"Sorry, I can't…I started this so I'm ending it…the most important thing is for you to run and let me finish this battle" he wheezed as he staggered to his knees.

"Why you?…why are all these terrible things happening to you?…what has forced you to fight this…monstrosity?" Rika was crying now, shallow tears falling from her sapphire eyes and submerging in the ash bellow.

"Its been me since the day I was handed the rose, this thing's has my darkness somewhere deep inside it, but its beyond that now, its become its own evil and I have stop it" Takato said sorrowfully, wiping away her tears.

In that moment it could have all been revealed, about what pain had tormented him throughout this hellish saga, he could have also expressed his love but there was no time as dark tail thrash around Rika's waist and dragged her away at great speed.

"Rika! Let her go!" Takato flung himself up to see Devil holding her by the throat. His amber eyes never taking their eyes off of him.

"She has been a part of this too! Ever since that fateful day when the glass had almost slashed your wrists, she has been entangled the whole way. She distracts you from your misery and that is what I feed upon! Don't worry though; she'll watch from the sidelines!" Devil snarled as his palm began to release snares of shadowy webs.

Soon Rika was caught in a gigantic spider web made of dark tendrils, she was immobilised to the point where she could only move her neck.

"A fraction of what I can know do, now then lets get back to the matter at hand; ending your worthless existence! Now, human, let me introduce you to a couple of my friends know as the Darkness Orbs!" Devil laughed manically.

He swung both his arms downwards in a swift motion; immediately after came a swarm of spheres made of pure darkness and crusaded forward with intent to kill.

Takato had only time to gasp and throw his arms in the way as the gigantic attack hit its mark. The force of impact was huge and knocked Takato off his feet and soaring backwards at high speeds until his backside meet the dusty floor.

"Though this guy is uglier than the backside of a rhino, his power and speed are incredible! I have to hit fast and hard if I'm ever going to get any real damage done!" Takato thought aloud as he tried to lift himself up, but the strain of the battle was starting to show.

"I hope your not getting to tired, human, the festivities aren't over yet! Darkness Orbs!" the voice of Devil was masqueraded by the fog, soon though the dusty curtains were broke as the spheres charged through like a swarm of angry wasps.

Rika could only hear his screams and the sounds of explosions, she yelled out frantically to see if he was still alive, if he was still breathing, if he would still try to pursue saving her.

"Ha! Finally! The human has not the speed nor agility to escape that attack! Which leaves the only questions being what I'm going to do to you, human, and when am I going to start to turn this world inside out!" Devil sniggered as his forked tongue spiralled.

"The answers are; you won't get the chance to do neither!" Came the burning voice from the fog. Takato then jumped out with rapier extended towards Devil's skull.

"Your persistent, I'll give you that, but you still fare no chance against my command of chaos! Breath Of The Deceased!" Devil bellowed with his shallow tone. He stretched both arms out wide, to Takato's shocking dismay before he made contact; sets of teeth began to appear all along the arms. He then took in a deep breath in as did every decayed mouth.

The rapier was centimetres away from striking; but at that very second Devil exhaled and out came a gust of toxic purple breath which infatuated Takato. Precious air was taken from is lungs and replaced with an incinerating gas that flooded his system and chipped away at his body from the inside.

The force of the attack sent Takato arching through the air and falling to the ground where he lay in a heap and forcefully gulped down beautiful clean oxygen and tried to get his body to heal what damage it had done but to no avail.

"You can't keep fighting human! You no longer have the power to heal and from what I recall you now have remaining telekinetic powers left…after all you sacrificed them to stop Dark Thorn!" The demon's horrific voice kept scratching at his mind.

It was true; when his own mask had turned into a weapon that risked tipping the fight between him and Ryo into his favour, Takato had given up his telekinetic attacks which might have been the only thing that could have bested this new devilry.

"It doesn't matter! I still have the will to live and more importantly; to drive my rapier through your black and stone crusted heart!!" Takato screeched as he got up and raced forward.

"That's right; step forward into your doom!" Devil grinned and swiped down his arms which released numerous dark orbs flying forward bashed Takato in his chest which was already wounded causing him to yell out in pain through his teeth.

"You don't know how sweet it is going to be when I severe you head and use it as a trophy to display in my new world!" Devil then volleyed two dark orbs forward and each nailed into Takato's head causing him to bounce after being levelled with so much force.

Takato gave a smirk; in a single red flash he disappeared from sight which caught the demon off guard. Devil frantically looked around just in time to see him reappear above and prepare to strike.

"I may have sacrificed my telekinetic moves but I kept my teleportation power in reserve for this occasion and now its going to lead to your downfall!" Takato descend right above him and if perfectly executed it would slice him in half.

"You really shouldn't underestimate your opponent! Especially one who has the power of a God!" he sniggered still letting Takato advance with what could be the killing blow.

"You know what they say; better the devil you know than the devil you don't!" Takato smirked as he was only metres off from his swift finisher.

"The only problem is you know this devil but you are still clueless to what this devil can do! Like I'm about to demonstrate! Storm Of The Cursed!" Devil grinned crudely as he raised both arms up to the bleak sky while his nails clenched inwards.

From above the attacking teenager; a flurry of swift purple lightning bolts shot down and in a horrific display ravaged Takato without mercy while his screams echoed throughout the city.

"Takato!!" Rika shrieked in terror as he lifelessly fell to the ground. His body had been burnt and pierced through, mostly through his legs and shoulders and no sign of him breathing.

"Takato…you killed him!!! You monster!!" Rika wept and screaming until her voice gave out. She was now starting to understand the pain that he had gone through, she had seen it in his eyes when they met back up at school, he had witnessed tragic and overwhelming horrors such as this.

"The human has been dead since the day his darkness was bonded to me; so much grief and anguish over you…" Devil licked his lips and sniggered at the smouldering corpse.

"What are you talking about…?" Rika stuttered.

"Ha! You humans are all together idiotic! You really had no idea that the worthless pest was head over heels for you! Drowned in misery that your flesh could not be his to use! But I should really be thanking you, for if he didn't try to commit suicide that fateful day it would have made things a bit more complicated; in a sense you're the one who killed him!" Devil howled as Rika could listen to her own heart breaking.

"It was never her…she was the one…in the beginning…who kept me going…but now I fight for her…in a deeper sense…that wasn't possible before…I have seen a new meaning of love…I will fight for her existence…" the pain stricken voice of Takato moaned as he slowly got himself up.

"Why can I never rid myself of you!" Devil clenched his scaly fist and lashed out, knocking Takato to the floor over by the twisted web.

"Lucky for me…that attack of yours…didn't hit any major organs" Takato groaned as he got himself up, his legs were still able to function but his arms were out of it though it held the rose firmly.

"Rika…just in case we die…I just want to tell you…" Takato gagged on his own breath as dark lumps of blood poured from his mouth.

"…Takato…" Rika felt her tears race down the side of her face, her hearts was beating fast, somewhere in her life she had felt this way before but it now was accelerated by the moment.

"Your human emotions will drive me to the brink of insanity if you keep this sickening act up! I would prefer to get back to the matter of wiping you from the face of this miserable planet!" Devil's lightning fast tail shot at him leaving no time for Takato to dodge.

He was sent flying to the centre of the broken down building with the demon bellowing with laughter and its hostage weeping with agony. Takato barely had the strength to even take in air yet alone fight.

He was left in the wake of the darkness that ruled over chaos…


	19. Fate

Digimon

Forbidden Love

Fate

Bleeding, broken, bruised and battered; Takato was nothing more than a breath away from death's door. Above him triumphantly stood his dark nemesis and caught in his grasp was the girl he had sworn to protect.

"If I just rush in and attack it always backfires and I'm sent sprawling all over the floor! He must have some weakness!" Takato thought aloud as managed to push himself up onto his knees.

"I have to start using my head; lets see; every time I always went in close he always counters and sends me flying, there has to be an alternative…" groaned as he desperately tried to make himself stand.

"Takato! You've got to get up! Don't let this excuse for a salamander push you around! You can fight back!" Rika yelled pleadingly as tear after tear cascaded down her face.

"Silence worm!" Devil roared as he swiped her around the face with his knuckles. She was left unconscious and hung loosely in the web that bonded her.

(AN: Anyone reading this may want to put on the song Crawling Remix by Linkin Park as it sets up the final battle scene)

That had got Takato steaming; he was now on his feet though struggling to sustain it; he was breathing heavily and screaming through his teeth, his arms he could barely move and his legs felt like they could give way at any moment. All he had was his sword…his sword…the sword that contained a vast amount of power. The idea then clicked into Takato's head like a switch.

"It's my best chance of ending this confrontation! If he survives then I'm finished but I doubt anyone can survive what I'm about to send his way!" Takato thought. The risk was huge and could cost him his life.

"Risks have brought me victory so far; I just need another miracle for this one to work!" Takato growled and with that brought nearly all his energy fuelled b his will and charged forward.

"You never cease to amaze me with your foolishness! I'm afraid this one will cost you will your life! My Storm Of The Cursed, Darkness Orb combination ought to end your miserable life!" Devil said maliciously.

Hundreds of lightning bolts poured from the sky and struck Takato along his back; badly singing them. The force of the explosion sent him tumbling forwards and straight into a minefield of exploding dark orbs.

Takato felt his body begin to waist always the endless stream of destruction; but his will prevailed over his injuries and soon he was right up close and in the grasp of the slithering demon.

"You knew this day of reckoning would come, ever since you first stood in my way and assumed an alias. But now no longer, finally I have you within my grasp!" Devil gnashed his razor teeth together and gathered one last dark orb in his hand and it was meant for Takato's skull.

"Guess again…" Takato smiled wirily. In a flash of red light he had teleported away from sight, Devil stood there with eyes wide and fist shaking in rage.

"Curses!" he screamed in nervous hatred, he then felt the familiar scent of human blood, it was streaking from behind him.

Devil spun his body around to see Takato with his rapier in his hands and the tip aiming right for him with eyes blazing with righteous fury. With a battle cry; Takato surged the rapier forward and Devil was powerless to do anything about it.

When Rika finally opened her eyes and getting over the splitting headache she now had, she set her gaze on the sight of Takato with his rapier surged through Devils stomach with the beast itself screaming in anguish.

Devil set his amber eyes on Takato in pure detestation, in one swift but powerful motion he rocketed his fist into Takato's side which sent him airborne but with a dark smirk on his face as he uttered one word.

"Boom…" he whispered. The rapier that was lodged right through the bowels of the scaly demon began to glow a vibrate red just like his mask.

Devil felt its power rising at an incredible rate and gripped the blades end and forcefully tried to pull it out but it was too late. The rapier glowed a bright vermilion colour before unleashing a chaotic explosion that covered everything in sight.

The vigour of the explosion was astronomical; Takato was sent skidding back with no strength left to fight back, Rika was also propelled forward as the web of shadows snapped at close range of the blast.

Takato crawled onto his front and tried to look through the pieces of shattered concrete to see if he had truly killed the monster. As the dust settled and Rika also managed to get herself up. When all became clear and only the storm remained; Takato's heart jumped into his throat.

The demon that had once filled him with fear had now suffered it's own version of suffering; Devil's right side had been completely demolished only leaving a large clump of tattered grey flesh. His hair had been reduced to a small flicker and his right eye been cracked like a stone to glass. His arm, leg and wing were now joined in string of butchered muscle and purple blood but he was still very much alive.

"What have you done to me!" he cried out with his echoing voice shaking the foundations of the storm.

"I wasn't strong enough…he is still alive…damn it!" Takato punched his fist onto the floor with tears of aggression lingering in his eyes.

"My almighty form! You nearly sent me to oblivion, disgusting maggot! I think it's time I return the favour for you and your pathetic girlfriend! Now that you have sacrificed your only weapon you are doomed" Devil roared. With his left hand he gathered his largest dark energy sphere and lunged it forward.

"Takato look out!!" Rika screamed. Takato could only look on as the energy sphere closed in and prepared to purge him of his life.

His eyes shut; Takato waited, over five seconds past and there was pain, over a minute past and still there was nothing. Takato opened his eyes slowly to see that the finishing blow had been blocked by dark tendrils that were coming out his chest. Frantically he ripped opened his shirt to see the strange tattoo swirling like a vortex.

"This mark…is what Dorudiin meant? This is the key to stopping the cleric?" Takato looked on in wonder as the tendrils dissolved along with the final attack. Rika looked in astonishment while Devil had the strange look of fear on his face.

"The Nether Gate! Its not possible! How does a human come across one of the most powerful techniques in all of chaos?" Devil shuffled back with limbs shaking in panic.

"Nether Gate?…Dorudiin said that this was the key to the destruction of chaos…which means I still have shot at obliterating your demonic soul!" Takato roared as he stood up easily, renewed energy spreading through him.

The tattoo began to swirl again and the five coloured points around it began to glow colours of orange, blue, silver, dark brown and light brown. Takato looked on at the demon with supremacy flowing through his veins.

"I finally understand what this mark was for! The demonic brothers were never destroyed when I defeated them and separated them from your cruel hold; they live inside me now and along with them you perish this day!" Takato yelled out as a light brown aura covered him.

From above the storm and fog began to clear and the blue sky of the early morning rolled in leaving the two souls to fight under the clear morning.

"No matter how powerful you think you have become you are only second rate to me!!" Devil squawked as he prepared to unleash numerous dark orbs.

"I'm afraid I have order on my side now, with new hope flooding through me your end is at hand! I call upon the force of wood! Wood Tower!" Takato yelled to the sky.

A spiritual projection of Mokojin appeared behind Takato; from the ground rose a thousand wooden pillars heading right for Devil; they surged upwards and pierced and lodged themselves into his marrow.

"The power of rain shall bury you! Storm Shower!" The spiritual projection of Aquarias appeared and through his power and light blue coloured aura; a single cloud descended and unleashed a maelstrom of rain. The force struck down hard and when enough leverage was made his mangled arm was ripped clean off. Devil fell to the ground and screamed a cry that could shatter windows.

"I'm…not…finished yet!" he bellowed and his long tail shot to life and headed right the empowered warrior.

"Let the power of metal shatter your hollow shell! Metal Smirk Bomb!" Takato glowed a bitter silver colour with Combot shining in the background. From his palm he unleashed a blinding energy sphere that darted forward. It collided with the demon's tail and melted into nothing.

"This child has been granted some other realm essence that I can't fight; I have only the choice to flee back to the chaos realm and lick my wounds and plot an ever sweeter vengeance!" Devil scowled and with his one remaining wing, unsteadily took off into the sky.

"If I let him escape the nightmare will start all over again! I have to end this here and now!" Takato glowed in a dark brown colour and leapt after him, gaining incredible height after just one jump. Devil turned around to see him gaining height and speed; he scowled and flung down a bombardment of energy spheres.

"Power of oil, fuel me with your strength and break down this damned fiend! Fist Of The Oil Beast King" Takato cried out. A spiritual image of Fuoise appeared and Takato unleashed from his fist his own bombardment of poisonous blasts that matched Devil's and broke through them. Devil raised his good arm in defence but this proved to be a mistake as the blast broke right through them.

"Worthless human! I will not be defeated!" Devil screamed and double kicked Takato in his bruised chest, sending him flying down towards the busy streets below. Meanwhile he turned to the sky and muttered something of chaos; the sky seemed to rip open and a red and black portal opened up before the wounded demon.

Takato watched this as he freefell to his death; if the chaotic creature made it through all his fighting and sacrifices would be for nothing.

"Please! I call on upon the spirit of flame to aid me! Lend me the strength to end this battle!" Takato yelled out. The final emblem on his chest glowed and he was covered in a raging orange aura.

Devil uneasily closed in on his road to freedom when he was struck in the shoulder by what felt like a feather that was set alight. He turned around to see a sight that made even his almighty status tremble. Takato, burning brightly like a star, held two shining wings that were once used by the demonic brother.

"The elements have given me the hope I need. You can't win, no matter what form you take or what power you gain. You won't be able to stop me from hunting you down!" Takato yelled as his blazing wings let out flickers of fire.

"You cannot stop what is higher than you! I am the cleric of chaos! The destroyer of all law and code, I write my own version of justice! You who is stuck in a realm that has no loyally between them have no power over me!" Devil spat venomously.

"I became part of this confrontation the day you took form and dragged me along through this whole roller coaster of Hell! Since you decided to take my life and turn it into a war I'll return the favour!" Takato cried as his wings spread far and unleashed a vigorous heat wave with the spiritual projection of Dorudiin behind him.

"The sprit of flames shall overcome you and I will end what chaos began! Wings Of The Burning Inferno!" Takato flapped his supernova wings and soared forward with intent to burn right through him.

"If that human makes contact I'm done for! I will not let him take me back to what I once was when Havik ruled!" Devil cried out. As Takato drew nearer for the finishing blow Devil's only remaining wing turned into a black ooze that grasped both his wings while his feet push back his chest so both of them were immobile.

"Insignificant human…you cannot keep control of the demon brothers power...for very long…I created them…soon their combined force with destroy you from the inside out…I will be the victor and then I will let fate take it's course and make me supreme ruler of all chaos!" Devil roared; his face and Tomato's were centimetres apart, a few more inches and Takato would have him but his prediction came to be as he felt his power draining from sustaining flight with the portal leading to chaos nothing more than a step away.

"You forgetting…the demonic brothers used to be brave men…until you twisted them into monsters…they no longer serve you!" Takato yelled. The Nether Gate began to swirl again with all five emblems glowing.

Devil grinned as his forked tongue seethed in and out, the human would die soon and then he would be the supreme lord over all realms.

To both of their surprises; a spiritual hand gripped around Devil from behind; Aquarias was forcing the demon back with an impressive show of strength.

A steel coated claw grabbed his right leg and forced it down; Combot continued to restrain him, this was causing him to lose gripping and Takato was edging forward.

An dark lion claw and wooden fist latchet on to Devil's other arm and wing pulling him back so he was completely immobile.

"How can this be! You spirits are supposed to be dead! You cannot disobey me!" Devil bitterly cried as the brothers forced him back even more.

"We were taken from order and forced into chaos by you! So now we no longer serve you but rather fight against you!" Fuoise growled.

"You only stalled things for us! You didn't really think that you could ever outdo Havik!" Combot yelled as he pulled down tighter.

"You cheap tricks to make yourself a God have failed! For today we shall end what we started that fateful day!" Aquarias yelled.

"You may have banished us to the forms of demons but inside we are still warriors of order and united once more shall we defeat you!" Mokojin shouted.

Takato was stunned to see that what had once been evil was now trying to aid him. They were giving him an opening to defeat what darkness had not just him but them as well, he would not fail them and prepared to strike.

"Takato, wait!" Devil said in a pleading voice.

"You can't kill me, if it were not for me you would have never been able to gain such power, if it were not for me you would have never tasted Rika's lips! I am you, just your darkness, everyone needs there darkness as it is a part of them! You need me!" Devil roared.

"…" Takato paused. The demon was pleading for its miserable life to be spared. Could he find it in himself to forgive all the terrible things that it had done.

"No…" he said simply.

"What!! You cannot deny that everyone needs darkness! Yin and yang cannot live without one another! Denying me means that you will always be one half of yourself!" Devil roared.

"That's true! But the truth in itself is that you are not me darkness! You stopped being part of me when you first stepped foot in that world of chaos! I can no longer hold responsibility for you! Which means that you are just another monster that I must destroy for the good of everyone!" Takato cried out as his wings set alight.

"Today I end the reign of the cleric of chaos!" Takato channelled every last drop of energy into his wings and speeded forward; breaking through Devil's defences and desolating through all the demon's barricades as he scorched through him.

"CURSES!!!!!!!!" Was the last thing Takato heard of the chaos demon as his wings faded and he plummeted to the ground and then…darkness.

Takato felt like a bomb was going off inside his head. He had keep moving, he told himself, he had to get up and defeat his darkness, he had to defeat the evil that was threading all realms.

"You can stop struggling Takato…" a gentle but fiery voice whispered to him. Takato blearily opened his eyes, he was lying face front on the floor of the building. He turned his head to see crouching beside him was Dorudiin.

"ExTakato and Devil are gone now…" he said comfortingly.

"I-I…see…"Takato managed to choke out. After that there was only the blissful blackness of sleep as he shut his eyes and left the rest to fate…


	20. Order

Digimon

Forbidden Love

Order

Whispers, thousands of whispers circling around him like a pack of hungry wolfs; speaking of chaos, order and demons. Questions followed soon after; questions of roses, masks, humans. Of course by this stage Takato could make no sense of them.

"Takato…" he heard his name mentioned; the voice was familiar, soft yet painful. Yes, their voice brought bad memories back, memories of death, blood and suffering. It also brought warming thoughts; sapphire eyes, flaming red hair, silk skin and passionate kisses.

"Takato…" the voice came again, this time followed by a gentle nudge. He could feel cold hands brushing his hazel hair, hot breaths warming his face, icy tears splashing on his temples.

"Takato…you can't be dead…you just can't…" the voice was trembling now and the tears were coming faster and nudges turned into rough shakes. Was he dead? A good question in itself for the last he remembered was falling, freefalling until everything went black.

Memories began to come into focus, he remembered harsh grief to the point of suicide, horrific nightmares, intense malice to personal comrades, eternal pain swelling up inside him, facing fear itself, hiding through masks, killing those who needed top be punished.

Then came the images; seven creatures lunging out at him with intent to murder; one was a replication of a trees, one a knight standing in a storm, one a futuristic killing machine, one a beast intoxicated with strength, one a fallen phoenix, one a samurai tipped into madness and the last a winged bat out of hell.

All these memories were starting to consume him, he had been caught in affairs that weren't destined to be interfered in. Now he had stepped into a more chaotic world there was no going back.

Takato then slowly opened his eyes, greeting the frosty mist that had rolled in with barely any sunlight left; he gazed upwards to see what he thought was an angel crying. Rika had hers shut and weeping hard, still unaware that he was awake.

"How long was I out?" came his first response; Rika flashed opened her eyes and gasped as if seeing a ghost, and immediately embraced him. Takato did not return the favour though as he was no longer bonded to her slavery of affection.

"I thought you wee dead! I never thought you would survive that fall! I-" Rika stuttered as she held on tightly to his shoulders.

"How long was I out" Takato said, a bit more forcefully this time. Rika gave an almost shocked look at his new attitude and quickly wiped her tears.

"About 3 hours; I thought you weren't going to make it but those creatures over there said that you were just exhausted from the fight and would heal" she said, setting her gaze to the ground.

Takato blinked and turned his stiff neck to see all five demonic brothers encircling something, from this distance it looked like a humanoid covered in black fire.

Immediately Takato ran up, before he was even half way there a very much alive Dorudiin turned around to meet him, his fiery eyes seemed though different as if they were calmed from an out of control wildfire to a strong bonfire.

"Your awake, I expected you to be out all day" he said. Takato had rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things but all of them remained where they were.

"What happened? Last thing I remember is falling through the sky, shoulders were on fire and then I blacked out" Takato reminisced.

"You seemed to have missed out the part that you blazed a path right through Devil" Dorudiin said smugly. Takato's back instantly stiffened as he finally recalled the cataclysmic battle he exchanged with the demon.

"I remember! But how did you five come back! I certainly remember killing each of you" Takato said sheepishly.

"Ha! No need to feel alarmed, if it were not for you we would never have reclaimed our humanity from this vile creature…" he said as he pointed a sharp talon towards the demonic fiend below.

It was only the size of Takato and was covered in dark flames with pure white jagged eyes and thin spiky tendrils for ears, it had long spike feet and a light of purple on its belly.

"What is that thing?" Takato asked, he had no memory of this dismayed creature appearing through out his battle.

"It is a deceiver, born from the chaos realm in brought error through your realm as well as others, it recently battled with a warrior who defeated by absorbing our spirit essence" Fuoise growled as he crossed his arms.

"You mean…that thing…is Devil?" Takato said taking a step back; the creature lashed a forked tongue at him and gave a dark snigger.

"Yes; I know you above all are confused, so let us all explain from the beginning what happened and how your paths were destined to cross with ours" Dorudiin said softly, he along with the others backed off around the creature. They clapped they hands together an a azure aura descended on them all.

Their current forms seemed to dissolve into coloured dust and scatter off into the wind; what remained startled Takato beyond belief. They appeared to look like knights, except their armour was an azure colour with golden beak like face mask and dreadlocks. Their bodies were large and muscled with dark blue shoulder pads and knee guards and golden boots. On the torso was a strange silver marked symbol which looked like two bladed leafs joined together with a golden lock. Lastly they had small, silver dagger markings all over the torso, arms and legs, strapped behind the being that used to be Dorudiin was a large bladed staff with same colour and marking was while everyone else had long flags with the same symbol that was on their armoured chests.

Soon all turned to face Takato would could hardly keep up with all the twists that were going on in his life. The lead knight stepped forward and clapped his hands together which appeared to be their signature gesture.

"I am Hotaru, Archbishop Of Order" he introduced himself while bowing, his voice was now much more human, like a man in his thirties.

(AN: Anyone reading this may want to put of The Take Over by Fall Out Boy as it sets up the drama for the final chapter)

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a second hear! I thought you guys were beings of the elements! Now you guys are warriors! I'm even more confused as to when I started!" Takato yammered, almost pulling out his hair.

"I understand your confusion, my young friend, allow me to explain from the beginning. You know of Devil's intentions to travel to the Chaos Realm" Hotaru started.

"Yeah, he said he was going to go there and recover before making another assault" Takato answered.

"Well, since time began there have been three great realms; Earth Realm; the place where we now stand, Chaos Realm; a desolate place where warriors seek to turn all of life to the way of their art of chaos though they are not without honour, and there is Order Realm; our home where warriors like myself trained to follow law and unify eternal peace" Hotaru said, almost in a dreamy sate.

"As you can imagine; Chaos and Order do not mix so as time grew on we went to war. We fought on each others battle grounds their repulsive temples against our royal churches clashed. We are an elite group, my fellow bishops one day lead an attack on Chaos Realm in an assassination mission to defeat their monarch"

"The Cleric Of Chaos…" Takato said bitterly.

"Indeed, I myself am the monarch of our realm, I only stretch power in need of peace but most of my days I am a soldier fighting this war as much as my brothers in arms. Anyway, we managed to enter their realm and made our way to the Chaotic Alter. The current cleric known as Havik was a merciless being who had a great knowledge of dark magic. It was a tiring battle, his head minions kept my soldiers at bay while clashed weapons in a bid to destroy one another"

"Our magic and weapons clashed, time was lost during our battle as neither one of us gave up. Then the Gods cam onto my side, in a powerful combo I impaled him with my Bsyuikio Staff. I would have finished him that day if it were not for this miserable pest!" he pointed accusing at the Lesser Devil who only slithered his tongue in response.

"The demon you now see before you made its way here through trickery and deceit. It originally was one of the elite guard to Havik. When I struck the final blow, he saw it as an opportunity. Using forbidden magic he spiritually bonded himself with Havik's corpse, we were so dazed that we did not expect him to let loose Havik's most twisted creation known as the Devil Dragon. It took us by surprise but we were powerful enough to subdue it and would have killed it. Unfortunately, the disrespectful fiend broke more forbidden spells; morphing us into twisted creatures and taking over our minds, that alone though did not suffice for him" Hotaru breathed heavily.

"Havik's body disintegrated soon after but all his malice was stored inside the young demon, ready to be used at an time. The fool though was not nearly experienced enough to handle it, this caused him to destroy the Devil Dragon; thus releasing enough chaos to turn the land barren, what little order they had was now lost. The alter remained but the land was ruined" he sighed, almost grieving their loss.

"I will never understand how through the destruction of his own realm lead to more greed and lust to rule over all. For this he would need a more powerful form and would need to digest a soul from another realm" Hotaru paused.

"My soul…my darkness, he was never my dark side, he just snatched it and masqueraded as my evil other" Takato clenched his fists and looked hatefully at the skinny demon who only smirked back.

"Acting like your other was necessary so you wouldn't catch on, he expected at first to bribe you into the darkness, for he then wouldn't have to worry about a human knowing of his plots. You resisted though, to him you then became minor annoyances, he summoned a few demons moulded from your fear. Yet you defeated them, you were getting closer and closer to his intentions. Soon though you found yourself becoming a bringer of order, the only thing that could defeat him" Hotaru explained.

"After absorbing your soul he evolved into this creature, he then set us in demonic form to destroy you and soon after purge this world into the Chaos Realm. After defeating me, you began to see the light, abandon you human affections and start to see the world in a different light, you managed to defeat one who was pushed into insanity who was once a close friend and sacrifice nearly everything. Then you faced the demon himself, though trying to masquerade as a fictional character called ExTakato, in which he accessed the high level magic he gained from Havik. Taking a form known as Devil he planned to destroy you and thus defeat order, he tried to trick you by saying you were still just a human, but he could see the potential warrior of order in you" Hotaru said with a hidden smirk.

"Lastly, even I am still surprised, you managed to deal a critical amount of damage by sacrificing your weapon, you would have died if it were not for the Nether Gate that I placed on you" he said indicated to the mark that till remained on Takato's chest though without the emblems.

"That mark I used only in the Chaos Realm, I was able to administer it to you as I had been infected with chaos blood in my demonic form, it has the ability to store spirits that are deceased and use their power temporarily. You used our demonic forms spectacularly, after using them to equalise your power, you managed to cut off all his clerical attributes thus returning him to his lesser stage. The mark though still remains as you have yet to take back your soul" Hotaru concluded.

Takato was gagging on his own breath after hearing the tale, he traced his hands over the tattoo and then looked to the demon which was being held down.

"You manipulated me from the start, now I'm going to take back something you took from me!" Takato undid his shirt and faced the demon, the mark began to swirl and the lesser demon yelled out in anguish. Out of him came a spiritual projection of Takato only with jet black hair and pale skin, it floated through the air and into the mark where Takato cried out as inner pain surged through him but from what he had faced today it was nothing.

All that was left was what looked like a skeleton with purple flesh and a scorpions tail, the body looked mangled and the tail was long and winding.

"I guess that ends my little escapade with chaos" Takato sighed but it was short lived when Hotaru pointed onto his chest, the tattoo still remained.

"What?! How come this stupid thing won't fade!" Takato said angrily.

"I'm afraid it will become a permanent; unless all your spirit is returned to you, that means that more of your spirit still lingers out in the world" the azure warrior said.

"But my darkness was taken by Devil, what else has been taken?" Takato asked, confused as to how more of his spirit had been taken without knowing.

"That is my doing" a soft voice whispered. All turned to see a silver knight dressed in red robes with a shield and lance.

"Gallantmon? What is your digital partner doing here?" Rika asked from the sidelines. The digital knight stepped forward meeting eye to eye with Takato who was a little uneasy for the moment but then smiled.

"Okay, you can drop the act now; there's no need to hide your true form anymore" Takato said with a smirk.

The knight was still for a few moments but soon it was covered with a blinding light before the armour faded and left in its place was a young teenager with blonde hair and shining blue eyes.

"How did you figure it out?" the second Takato said while scratching the back of his neck in confusion.

"That you were my light side? Once I thought of who else could have taken my spirit there weren't many outer world enteritis left but you, then Hotaru mentioned that I was a potential warrior of order and he only way I figured that could have happened was when you gave me the rose that must have taken from Order Realm, when you put all that into place the answer is simple; the spirit left on its own. I do have a couple of questions though, why didn't you tell me who you really were from the beginning and how did you get free?" Takato asked.

"First of all; if I had told you I was another you, you would have probably thought you were going crazy. Second of all; when the other you was being taken there was a narrow window for me to aid you, I slipped into the realm of order and assumed an order spirit to create a physical form, I then crafted the rapier which was then concealed in a rose, afterwards I disguised my self as a long term fiend of yours so you would trust me. After that I waited for events to unfold and hoped for the best" the Light Takato said chirpily.

"Well I guess I owe you a lot! If it weren't for you I would dead long ago" Takato said nervously, talking to yourself was an out of body experience.

"We are one, I am all your positive feelings. Its also my fault that you felt kind of lousy this who saga but I guess it was for the best. Now if you don't mind, I'm tired I need a long rest and restore happiness to your life; from what you've done I think you deserve it" he sad with a warming grin.

Takato nodded and le the Nether Gate do its job; it began to spin and soon the light version of himself became one again with him and with a final swirl the tattoo disappeared for good.

"Seems like my life is back on the road to recovery" he said with a smile, a gesture he hadn't shown in a long time.

Meanwhile; the now reduced demon gripped its bony fingers in primitive hatred, all that was left of it was the urge to kill and it new the perfect victim.

With a strong burst of speed and agility it roundhouse kicked all the Bishops Of Order away and leapt forward; with the intention of killing Takato once and for all…


	21. Love

Digimon

Forbidden Love

Love

With murder in its eyes; the demon jolted his legs and soared through the air, its tail raised high to slice through his tissue and arms ready to break bones.

Takato slowly turned his head around to witness the coming of his own demise as the basic demon was almost upon him. His breath became heavy and his heart went still as the tyrannical skull face with eyes like an endless void meet his.

"Takato! Look out!" Came Hotaru's voice, Takato had had barely anytime to duck as the large staff connected with the demon's face; sending it flying backwards onto its hollowed spine.

"You have exhausted yourself enough, let us handle this fiend" Hotaru said as he placed a hand on Takato's shoulder. The unmasked warrior only nodded as he was still stunned from seeing into the eyes of a full demon.

All five Bishops Of Order surrounded the demon, each with a different fighting stance of styles Takato had never seen before. The basic demon only cackled an insidious laugh and raised its venomous tail.

"Poison Tail!" he cackled; from the end of the stinger shot out a sick looking purple cloud soaring forward like a shooting star.

The first bishop easily side stepped it and manoeuvred his way forward with fists raised; he then proceeded with unleashing numerous arm thrust on the demons soft underbelly. It spat furious and tried to pierce his armour with its tail.

"Grasshopper Kick!" he shouted out in an Australian voice. He leapt in the air and started unleashing a flurry of fast kicks to the face, cracking the skull into fragments and leaving dazed and wounded.

"Zephyr is the Bishop Of The East, he utilizes the styles of Tai Kwon Doe with the power of air" Hotaru introduced while crossing his arms in a proud manner.

The demon brushed off the excess skull and lashed out against the azure warrior; Zephyr only side stepped back and let another come forward.

"Hammer Fist!" he shouted out in a British accent. He ducker under the demon's swipe and thrust the side of his fist into the demon's chest and compressed it back at least two inches. The demon gasped for breath before the attack took effect an a dark wave sent him crashing into the ground.

"Fracture is the Bishop Of The North, he utilizes the style of Ninjitsu with the power of darkness, do not be alarmed by this for in the Order Realm we use darkness as a way to balance out the light and use it for just causes" Hotaru explained while Takato breathed a sigh of relief.

The demon slowly edge its way up and face the bishop angrily, he lunged one of his arms back where a purple energy ball gathered.

"Toxic Throw!" he yelled in his sinister voice; the energy ball nearly collided with Fracture but he flipped backwards and avoided it ad let the third bishop take over.

"Lava Burst" he said in a Brazilian accent; he raised one knee and thrust his hands forward which sent forward a blast of lava. It struck the demon crushing and burning intensely, also leaving a large crater.

"Skellos is the Bishop of the West, he utilizes the style of Jujitsu with the power of fire, unlike me when I was in demon form he has perfect control and needs no weapon in manipulated the flames" Hotaru chuckled.

The demon crawled out of the crater with its flesh singed and crispy and sending a foul odour in the air. Still it persisted though and just managed to stand up with its tail sloshing away excess lava that was eating through it.

Skellos simply stepped back as the last one appeared, the demon just growled and leapt forward with intent to crush through their armour and pull out their brains.

"Crystal Glacier!" she said in a Russian voice; she raised her middle and forefinger and curved her thumb. As the demon approached a single snowball appeared in her hand, she flung it forward and surprising as soon as it hit the demon it was frozen solid in a block of ice.

"Frost is the Bishop Of The South and only women to ever make it into the Order Elite; she utilizes the style of Kung Fu with the power of ice" Hotaru explained.

"Wait a second? There was a women within the demonic brothers?" Takato asked, totally bewildered.

"Yes, she once took the form of Combot, she told me you were her cutest victim" Hotaru chuckled while Takato went bright red and scratched his neck.

"So what's your personal profile?" Takato asked.

"Mine? I am Hotaru, Archbishop Of The Centre, I utilize the style of Karate with the power of light and monarch of Order Realm" he laughed.

Soon though he stopped and stepped forward with the other bishops around the frozen demon, each one of them clapped threads in their signature gesture. The four bishops then began to create fast and complicated hand movements, as their did azure lines began to crack into the ground and swirl around the demon until they stopped with their hand clap and their signature symbol of two boded leafs encircled the demon.

"This is where the nightmare ends for all of us!" Hotaru yelled out into the fog, the cold misty morning sent a chilling breeze in response.

"For too long has order been overturned by chaos, today with destroy the fiend that brought misery and suffering for the us and a single human who we owe our lives too…" Hotaru said with a smirk making Takato feel embarrassed.

"But now we stand with the demon within the Seal Of Order; where it shall be destroyed here and now!" he yelled, taking out his staff.

"By the power vested in me by the former Kings Of Order and by the witness of the Bishops of Order and Takato the Order/Human saviour…I banish thee!!" he shouted as he swung his staff down.

The ice cracked and the demon roared a final cry before the blade on the end of the staff sliced him in half, Takato could only watch without any mercy or grief as its remains were swallowed by the seal and then gone…disappeared forever.

"At long last we are free…and we owe it to you Takato" Hotaru and the others faced him. If Takato hadn't known their were on his side he would have intimidated more than them then Devil.

"We cannot thank you enough for freeing us, we now can travel back to our world, see our families again, and pursue Havik…" he said quietly.

"Havik!! I thought you said he was destroyed!" Takato said in dismay, the thought of the original demon lord still being alive was to horrific to believe.

"His body may have been destroyed but his spirit has lost none of its twisted abilities, he will return, but do not fear, for this is now our fight…you have done more than enough" Hotaru said as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You will be remembered in the archives for you heroic deeds! Always remember that we are your dept and will never be able to repay you, but if there is anything you need, or require aid….we we will come within a breath" Hotaru said softly.

He then stepped back and clapped his hands together and slowly opened them, a shinning aura appeared within the space which soon modelled into a sleek wooden chest.

"What is this?" Takato asked as Hotaru gave it to him.

"A small gift from the Order Realm, use it wisely for I fear that you will need it in the years to come" Hotaru said strictly; he then held out a hand.

"I'm afraid this is goodbye; good luck my friend wherever you go" he said. Takato had to fight back tears in his eyes but smiled and firmly gripped it.

"I wish you the best of luck" Takato said. All the bishops nodded and stepped back, all their bodies were covered in a turquoise coat before unleashing a huge flash of light before disappearing.

Then there was only silence; silence from Takato meant he was in deep thought, over so many tragic yet great events that had occurred in his life. He then realised he was not alone, his eyes met Rika's whose were a little way off; silence from her meant that what she had witnessed would forever change her life.

"She has been pulled into the light, just like me…I can't open up to her about all these revelations…there is two much pain behind them…" Takato looked towards the ground, not wanting to exchange even more grief while looking into her eyes.

Rika slowly walked forward, she needed answers, she had to know of what she had witnessed, all the horrors that had been unleashed that no one would know of.

****

**_Face Your Love_**

But he couldn't, after everything that had happened he could not go back to face what had set off these chains of events.

Grasping the chest tightly under his arm he ran towards the edge of the building and jumped; into the mist where he disappeared from sight.

"Takato…" Rika whispered into the nothingness, there she was alone with her won thoughts and her decision to what path she would follow.

2 WEEKS LATER

The choices that everyone makes determine their future; Takato's choice would drastically change his future.

The pressure he was under after letting everything go nearly destroyed him; how could he relax when he knew there was a full scale war going on somewhere beyond the stars.

Taking his life into his own hands had been easier than expected; he had left home and left a later for his parents, making up a fake story about leaving. He had ditched school for he would no need and education now that he knew what was going on out there beyond this realm.

He had bought a nice, small but snug apartment; it was a single room with a single bed, coffee table, shelf, freeze, washing machine, chairs, desk and numerous pictures hanging on the wall, his new home was located far from his old so his friends and family would find him.

He had taken a job as a librarian; it wasn't much but it paid well enough for him to leave; after work he would he would spend most time at his desk with books he had brought of the theory of other dimensions and studied them to find clues and hopefully some gateway to Order Realm.

His chest he had never opened; he had a feeling that when the time was right he would open it, if it was from Order Realm then the significance of it was probably to stomp out the Chaos Realm in some way.

It was a normal Saturday morning; Takato was dressed in a deep red shirt and black trousers for he could never really go back to wearing anything that wasn't red, he had left his goggle at home for it was a symbol of his former life, he had tried to get rid of anything that linked him to the past.

He was studding a book on the idea of other realms, studying them fiercely for a hint or a clue to the location of the other realms; the thought of Havik still rampaging through the universe made him cringe with fear but it also made him more determined to find him and most importantly stop him.

All of a sudden, there was a gentle tapping on the door; Takato never got visitors so he was suspicious at the thought. The gentle tap came again, when he did answer the lock undid it self and the face of Rika slithered into his gaze.

"Never though I would be able to find you…" she said quietly with a small smile. Takato kept his gaze on her without even a hint of a smile.

Slowly she entered his room, the usual tough girl that she had used to be was gone, it was almost as if she feared him. Moving a few stray locks of red hair out of her eyes she face Takato; he looked completely different for he was no longer the young, annoying kid he had used to be, he had matured in a short space of time.

"Why are you here and most importantly how did you find me" Takato asked bitterly. Rika shuddered slightly before sighing.

"I came to talk to you, there some things I need to know and as to how I found you it took a lot of work, asking locals until I found your record at the town's library" she said nervously.

"There's nothing to talk about, what your saw that day was only mine to see, just try to forget it and go home" Takato said shallowly, turning his back on her.

Suddenly he felt his shoulder be grabbed and being whirled around to face Rika's burning eyes.

"Listen to me! I may not have known what the background story was to what or why you did! I just need to know things to put my mind at rest! You may think you're the only that has suffered but guess what! Your not! There hasn't been a night I haven't trembled at the thought of that monster coming back to get you! So stuff your selfish pride and tell me what I need to know!" Rika growled, clenching her fists hard.

Takato was stunned for a moment, he hadn't expected so much fire from inside her; he had forgotten she was one of the strongest people he had ever met.

"Fine; ask your questions" he said, leaning backwards on a chair. Rika breathed a sign of relief and went ahead.

"First of all; are you Blood Rose?" she asked strictly; he was afraid of that, this would lead to more complicated questions and soon she would be entangled in his world.

"What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room; what you are about to know could shake this world, after hearing it there is no going back" he said seriously. Rika nodded immediately, Takato sighed and began his tale.

He went through how his pain had been caused by her, how he had devoted his life to get her attention, soon after how Hotaru had explained his story of the two realms; he went on to say how he had acquired the rose and how he indeed had become Blood Rose, he told of the demonic brothers and very soon the confrontation with Devil.

"You know the rest…" hen sighed as he concluded. Rika was sitting on a chair and trembling, his story had defiantly had an impact on her.

"So…are you saying that…I was the cause of all your pain…what you meant to say of the rooftop was that…that" she couldn't even bring herself to say the words.

"That I loved you? Yes, but I was a fool then and now things have changed; you've heard the story and experienced the ride. Leave with what you have left of a grip on humanity" Takato said, waiting for Rika to leave so he could get on with his life.

She stood up, but head in the opposite direction of the door latched her arm around Takato's neck, which took him completely off guard.

"Takato…whether you realised this or not I've been a part of this to; this strange new world will take a lifetime to get used to, one I am willing to share with you" she said as sapphire never distanced themselves from his hazel ones.

"Rika you can't-" Takato was about to begin but Rika cut him off when she put a finger to his lips, she had a thin smile on her face and managed to snake her other arm around hi neck.

"Not another word; face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot" Rika gave a warm smile before pressing her lips onto his.

Takato was stunned, shocked, bewildered, and down right confused; but realised what he was being offered and felt himself return their heated but loving kiss.

Was this the end? No, it was just the beginning; a new world had been opened up to Takato, what he thought was suffering was just preparation, a new world was open for him, a world without barricades or boundaries, where possibility was as far as the imagination.

Meanwhile, inside the chest which had been a gift from the Order World; a scarlet mask and a single crimson rose shone, for they knew that they would be needed soon.

For you see; this rose had just begun to unravel it's petals…

THE END


End file.
